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Toxicodendron vernicifluum
Also called Chinese Lacquertree, Japanese Lacquertree, Japanese Sumac, Japanese Varnishtree, Lacquertree, Varnishtree, Japanese Laquer Tree
A deciduous tree native to China, the Himalayas and Korea, cultivated for its sap, which is tapped to make traditional Asian lacquerware. It is closely related to poison ivy and is best grown in the open ground away from people, as its sap causes severe skin reactions.
Toxicodendron vernicifluum (formerly Rhus verniciflua), also known by the common name Chinese lacquer tree, is an Asian tree species of genus Toxicodendron native to China and the Indian subcontinent, and cultivated in regions of China, Japan and Korea. Other common names include poison sumac, Japanese lacquer tree, Japanese sumac, and varnish tree. The trees are cultivated and tapped for their toxic sap, which is used as a highly durable lacquer to make Chinese, Japanese, and Korean lacquerware.
The trees grow up to 20 metres tall with large leaves, each containing from 7 to 19 leaflets (most often 11–13).
Pacific poison oak · Asian Lacquer Tree · Atlantic poison oak · Poison ivy · Western poison ivy · Poison sumac · Poison oak
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Toxicodendron vernicifluum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
