Laurel Sumac (Malosma Laurina) is an Evergreen, native California tree, or small shrub, growing on the Pacific coastal regions of California & Mexico, and the only member of the genus Malosma.This shrub is named "laurel" because the foliage is reminiscent of bay laurel but it is not in that plant family. Laurel sumac grows in full sun and is very drought adapted once established, but is not cold tolerant; prefers well drained soil, either sandy or rocky. Like other members of the Anacardiaceae family (including poison ivy), the sap can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals.
Acquired: Spring '25 - California Botanic Garden - $12.00
This plant was less than a year old when I brought him home, I think. He was extremely leggy & about twice the current height. When I was leaving the nursery, another patron asked me what I was going to do with the Sumac & I answered truthfully, that I didn't have a clue, but I would grow him on & see what happens.
I don't have any early photos, but I've been growing him in a training pot for several months, as you can see from this snapshot taken just before the re-pot. Over the months, I've been able to reduce the height by about 50% ; he currently tops out at prox 18 inches.
6 or 8 weeks ago, the tree was completely defoliated, due to a stupid mistake on my part & I didn't think he would survive, but within days, buds reformed & then leaves, red when they're young (you can see new leaf growth in the pics). When he was younger, he had a perfect "S" shape, that I was hopeful would become permanent, but he straightened himself up..still a graceful curve in his long, thin trunk, which I wanted to display
Once I de-potted him & removed most of the soil, exposing the rootball, I decided to take a chance & skip the 2nd training pot & give him, what might be a permanent berth in a small ceramic bowl that needed a tenant.
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| 11/12/2025 |
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| Dec 3, 2025 |
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| March 5, 2026 |
April 4, 2026
Along with the other trees, the Laurel Sumac is throwing new leaves & possibly growing, although it's hard to tell. You can identify the new leaves by their color, for the most part, being lighter green or yellow turning to green as they mature.
This photo is after minor pruning to shorten-up mostly secondary-branches..he has a tendency to become "leggy" & I'm trying to maintain his proportions, although he has become heavier on one side, which I will try to correct, as time goes on, however I am very pleased with how he has adjusted to what I call "patio life", containerized, root reduction surger,y & the hot dry winds that can absolutely decimate a young plant..I do protect him from the wind, when I can, but he is hardy for such a fragile looking plant & soldiers-on.
June 11, 2026
Looking at the photos from last month & this month, you will probably notice a difference in the color of the leaves, which was diagnosed as an iron deficiency, attributable to the pH of the soil being too alkaline (over 7.0) & depriving the plant of the ability to absorb iron present in the potting mix. (the Bouganvillea also suffers from this problem, but more severely)
The Sumac, like many other plants, prefers & needs a slightly acidic (below 7.0) mix in order to absorb iron & other minerals. There are multiple ways to do this, including using a fertilizer that is manufactured specifically for plants that need a slightly-acidic soil mix.
As you can see, the leaves are now "greening-up" & the new leaves are coming out green, not yellow, as before.
Now if someone would teach me how to properly prune this tree to show off it's best features...well, I'll have to work on that.
July 6, 2026
Lightly pruned, watered & fed, our Sumac is ready for summer. Since it's been 8-9 months since I potted him, I thought he might need the potting mix freshened, but the top dressing is doing it's job & water is not "pooling"..if it ain't broke, don't fix it..
I have adopted a slightly different pruning style or maybe I'm just getting back to basics..shorter, tighter produces smaller leaves that are more in perspective with his overall size & height (18").
He will 'back-bud' readily, the new shoots being a deep, dark red for the first few days & as they develop, turning dark green.
