Staghorn Sumac

Anacardiaceae

LIFE FORM: Shrub

NATIVITY: Eastern North America

VEGETATIVE CHARACTERISTICS:

10 to 20 feet tall; pinnately compound leaves are alternate with numerous serrate leaflets; twigs are densely hairy; bright orange or red fall color.

FLOWERS:

Greenish-white flowers produced in dense clusters in late spring; separate male and female plants.

FRUIT/DISPERSAL AGENTS:

Cone-shaped clusters of deep red fruits terminate the branches; produced in autumn and persist through the winter; seeds dispersed by birds; root suckers form dense shrubby thickets.

ECOLOGICAL PREFERENCE:

Minimally maintained public parks and open space; vacant lots and rubble dump sites; woodlands that develop on abandoned open space; rock outcrops and stone walls; unmowed highway banks and median strips with frequent salt applications; railroad tracks with ballast substrate.

ENVIRONMENTAL FUNCTION:

Salt tolerance along roadways; drought tolerance on compacted soils; food and/or habitat for wildlife; erosion control on slopes.

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:

Juice from crushed berries used as a gargle for sore throats; Native Americans use leaves and fruits as a poultice to soothe irritated skin.