Staghorn Sumac

(Rhus typhina)

Other Names:

Sumac

Range:

Family:

Anacardiaceae - The Cashew or Sumac Family

Growth Type:

A deciduous perennial shrub or small tree

Height:

Growing to approximately 16 ft tall and 20 ft wide

Leaves:

It has alternate, pinnately compound leaves 10 – 22 in long. Each compound leaf has from 9 - 31 serrate leaflets each about 2 - 4 in long. The leaf petioles and the stems are densely covered in rust-colored hairs.

Stem/Trunk:

The velvety texture and the forking pattern of the branches, reminiscent of antlers, have led to the common name "stag's horn sumac".

Root:

Rhizome

Flower Season:

May to July

Flower Appearance:

Conelike flower heads, consisting of thousands of tiny greenish or greenish-yellow flowers, grow at the tops of the branches.

Seed/Fruit:

The fruit is one of the most identifiable characteristics, forming dense clusters of small red drupes at the tips of the branches. Individual drupes are covered in velvety hairs, and are dry and unpalatable. Each fruit cluster is conical in shape and is approximately 4 – 8 in long and 2 – 3 in wide at the base, and tapering to a point. The fruit has been known to last through winter and into spring.

Miscellaneous characteristics:

This plant grows in large dense clusters of either male or female plants, spreading by either seed or rhizome. It grows aggressively, forming large groves which have the oldest plants in the center, with the plants becoming younger as you move outward. The plant flowers in late spring, and the fruit begins to ripen in early summer through early autumn. In the Autumn, the foliage turns brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow. Staghorn sumac is not closely related to Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix).

Habitat:

Dry forest edges, roadsides, and waste areas

Parts Used:

Leaves, berries, bark, root

Culinary Uses:

A wonderfully delicious "pink lemonade" can be made from the berries. See recipe below.

Energetics:

Taste: Sour
Thermal: Neutral
Humidity: Moistening

Traditional Medicinal Uses:

The leaves can be dried and smoked as a treatment for asthma. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but it works quite well to alleviate the thick mucus associated with asthma and colds. A drink made from the berries has been known to quite persistent coughs. After boiling the fruit in a sugar simple syrup for 10 minutes, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or fine sieve to make a wonderfully effective cough syrup. Leaf tea to treat asthma, colds, and upper respiratory disorders. Bark tea to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and fevers. Root tea emetic, diuretic. Alcohol extracts, or tinctures, of the bark have been shown to be highly effective antiseptic.

Indications:

Apthous Stomatata, Asthma, Coughs, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Fevers, Gingivitis, Interstitial Cystitis, Menorrhagia, Thrush, Ulcerated Mucous Membranes, Urinary Incontinence, Urinary Tact Infections (UTI), Hyperkalemia

Medicinal Actions:

Antidiarrheal, Antiseptic, Antitussive, Astringent, Diuretic, Emetic, Tonic - Lung