It is not invasive; it is more American than even apple pie. In Missouri, staghorn sumac (introduced from states to our north and east) occurs along railroads, highways, and other open, disturbed areas. Also, be aware the oils can get on clothes and continue to be irritating whenever touched again (such as when doing laundry). More Info: Poison sumac, Toxicodendron vernix, is part of the large Anacardiaceae plant family. In any event, they can all make you miserable, so avoid them if you can. But the plants are probably not trying to irritate your skin. Do you mean to get rid of the plants or get rid of the itching rash? Other sumacs such as staghorn sumac, Rhus typhina, are also members of the Anacardiaceae, but don’t necessarily produce urushiol. The Natchez used the root of fragrant sumac to treat boils. I have an acre of property and most of it is wooded. Mature specimens have been known to attain heights of twenty feet. What It Is. How can I tell if it’s poison sumac growing near my roses? Poison Sumac is not so prevalent in the Piedmont region of NC and is even less so in the Mountains. Birds had likely spread the seeds across the road. The fruits are generally red. Yes, there is poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix), which will definitely cause a rash that is worse than poison ivy (poison sumac is found only in swamps). Tree of Heaven is an invasive and extremely aggressive in growth and proliferation. This tree is wild and in some areas of the country invasive. Staghorn Sumac is a member of the Anacardiaceae, the Sumac or Cashew family. Also, where do you live? So, when poison sumac is found in an out-of-the-way location, it’s best left alone to … Also, you can count the leaves. Also known as velvet sumac due to its soft, fuzzy twigs, staghorn sumac is familiar to most people. Poison sumac, while it looks more like harmless staghorn sumac than like poison-ivy and poison-oak, is actually more closely related to its three-leafed poisonous relatives. Poison sumac has smooth leaves. The leaves are pinnately compound but are smooth with no teeth. Poison ivy can grow as a vine, but poison sumac always grows as a bush or tree. Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina), Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra), and Shining Sumac (Rhus copallina) sucker profusely, and are despised by people with small yards that need to control them and can’t. The most prominent feature is the clusters of bright red berries that top the trees in the late summer and early fall. Not Poison Sumac. It is a shrub which can grow to several metres in height. Most likely they produce urushiol to fend off sap-sucking insects. The lack of “hair” on the white fruit, or stems, and the smooth-edged leaves on poison sumac are a good way to tell the difference between Poison Sumac and Staghorn Sumac ( … The berries, roots, inner bark, and leaves of smooth and staghorn sumac were used to make dyes of various colors. The pictures look very close. It grows to about 25 feet tall and has an irregular, open crown with a flat top. Staghorn Sumac - Rhus typhina is an attractive wood line plant with attractive fruits. Tree of Heaven vs. Sumac: How can you tell the difference? Can you take a photo of your plant and email to me at tom@askanaturalist.com? The cashew plant, Anacardium occidentale, also produces urushiol, and cashews have to be handled and processed carefully to separate the cashew nut from the fruit and remove any urushiol from the nut. However, the flowers can really help if you want to keep (Sumac). There are 250 geniuses of Sumac which can grow anywhere from four to 35 feet in size. But that may be because it’s covered in poison ivy instead. This was my first impression when coming upon either Staghorn or Smooth Sumac. They all produce urushiol, the oil that causes such an agonizing allergic reaction. https://askanaturalist.com/how-do-you-identify-poison-sumac/. I have pics of Giant Hogweed if you’d like them. diversilobum, the relationships are not clear, which suggests that there has been significant hybridization between them over time. If you Google how to remove poison ivy, you’ll get some suggestions. Tree of Heaven is an invasive and extremely aggressive in growth and proliferation. The twigs on poison sumac are smooth; those on staghorn sumac are covered in tiny hairs. To be safe, DO NOT touch a Sumac unless you see the red berry clusters like in the included picture below. Many people believe staghorn sumac is poisonous. But staghorn sumac is not poisonous.-----We used to call what you have "red sumac". Whats the best thing to get rid of poison sumac? ); the leaves of staghorn sumac plants … The Anacardiaceae includes cashew, mango, pistachio, and the “poisonous” plants so painfully familiar to North Americans. Physical Characteristics Look for a 5 to 20 ft (1.5 to 6.1 m) shrub or tree. If there are more than 13 leaflets on a stem, it’s not poison sumac. Poison sumac is not likely to grow in the same places as staghorn sumac. The house is in Athens NY in the Hudson Valley. If fact, it is rich in its contributions to the environment. i have a bunch of trees that look like poison sumac it gets red flowers in the fall and is taking over my back yard just want to know if it is poison my yard is not wet and mostly gravel. What time of year can I see monarchs in Mexico? Posted by Tom of AskaNaturalist.com | Jun 17, 2010 | Plants, Questions and Answers, Uncategorized | 17 |. The buds are small and sit above a large heart-shaped leaf scar.Â, Both plants can grow together and may be difficult to tell apart. Also, people can be allergic to sumac, just like everything else. The berries are NOT edible. Know what you are looking for, before foraging. In fact, on a single plant of either species you can sometimes have smooth leaves that look ivy-like, and other leaves that look oak-like. When biologists use DNA sequences to figure out the relationships between the plants in the genus Toxicodendron, the relationships between Eastern poison-ivy, Toxicodendron radicans, Western poison-ivy, Toxicodendron rydbergii, Eastern poison-oak, Toxicodendron pubescens, and Western poison-oak, Toxicodendron Birds and bears eat the berries of poison sumac, poison-ivy, and poison-oak and expose themselves to the leaves with no sign of harm. Check the leaf count. It has compound leaves with 7-13 smooth-edged leaflets, as shown in figure 1. Staghorn can have much more than that. But it is NOT poison sumac. As for how to get rid of them, that’s beyond my expertise. If you could take some good pictures of the trees you think might be poison sumac, I might be able to tell you. Mostly they involve pulling the plants out by the roots after taking precautions to make sure you don’t expose your skin to the poison ivy oil. However, like Eastwood’s good side in the movie, these same species can sooth us as we drive by on the freeway in a race to wherever. But you can't blame them for assuming that. and a good orange fall color. Although it shares the same name as sumac spice, the two belong to different plant genera and share very few similarities. Is that a poison ivy or sumac? Staghorn and smooth sumac have more than 13 leaflets, and the leaflets have a serrated edge. While poison sumac is related to the variety of sumac that is consumed as a … Required fields are marked *, 1,242,604 Spambots Blocked by Simple Comments, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Sharing a genus with poison sumac (Rhus vernix) has unnecessarily blackballed staghorn sumac (R. typhina) from inclusion in many landscape plans. Phytolacca americana. Poison sumac is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3b through 8b. The stalk of the compound leaf is reddish. Despite the name, poison sumac is included with species including poison oak and poison ivy in the Toxicodendron genus. It’s not clear why people are so susceptible to urushiol. The Ojibwa took a decoction of fragrant sumac root to stop diarrhea. Winged sumac occurs in glades, upland prairies, savannas, openings of upland forests, and open disturbed areas. You will not find poison sumac growing up on high, dry hillsides where non-poisonous ornamental kinds typically grow. Both plants can grow together and may be difficult to tell apart. The leaflets of poison sumac have smooth margins; those of staghorn sumac are toothed. Sumacs are plants from the genus Rhus that grow around the world, with over a dozen true sumac species in North America. Poison sumac is not that common, and mostly grows in swamps. The Poison Sumac has white, green or grey colored berries. Very useful and informative, thank you. BUT it needs /works best to be applied to dry skin before you try to wash with soap and water, so having it on hand ahead of time and reading the directions first can be very helpful. May I send you a picture of the plant? Staghorn Sumac is a native to Ohio and a great naturalizer plant. I am the founder and main writer of AskaNaturalist.com. Smooth sumac has smooth stems, like poison sumac. By contrast, poison sumac tends to be a solitary plant of the swamps. Dwarf sumac can have the same number of leaflets as poison sumac, but the leaf stalk has “wings”, as show in figure 3, in keeping with its alternate name, winged sumac. Do We Replace Our Cells Every 7 or 10 years? Sure. The Poison Sumac likes very damp or wet land. Your email address will not be published. Poison sumac is only found in the eastern half of the country. So I think you’re okay. Do I stand corrected? There is poison ivy everywhere in the woods. Send your photo to tom@askanaturalist.com, in high resolution, if possible. The berries of poison sumac are white or pale green, grow at the base of the leaves and hang downward from the stems, somewhat like a cluster of grapes. An allergy to mangoes or cashews indicates that you are likely to also have an allergy to sumac. Poison sumac likes a very wet, swampy habitat, whereas staghorn sumac prefers dry ground. The fruit is white. Another key difference between staghorn sumac and poison sumac is the leaves. "This latter genus ialso ncludes a sumac impostor that does cause rashes, poison sumac (T. vernix). Staghorn Sumac is a native to Ohio and a great naturalizer plant. Gunk hand degreaser used by mechanics may also work well. Staghorn Sumac, like many of our favorite edibles, is technically classified as a weed! Also, it’s very hard to tell poison oak from poison ivy. Staghorn sumac is not to be confused with poison sumac. To differentiate poison sumac from other common sumacs, count the number of leaflets. The Short Answer: Poison sumac is a large shrub or small tree found in wet areas. Why are These Yellow Jackets Dying in My Garage? It grows in many parts of the world – in North America, Europe, Middle East and the Mediterranean. We have sumac, scrub oak and weeds galore. And it is a strange one, with big berries that turn purple. Several Great Choices The most popular sumacs for landscape use are winged, staghorn, and smooth sumac, either the native wild species or specially-bred cultivated varieties such as the golden leaf “Tiger Eye” sumac. Poison Sumac. However, its berries grow in dense clustered spikes rather than the looser arrangement found in poison sumac. The leaves on sumac are toothed and pinnately compound.Â, The bud is surrounded by the leaf scar. Â. Could some of the small trees near the damp area be poison sumac? But if you send some good photos of the leaves, I can probably tell you if it’s poison sumac. I have been getting a number of images of a strange looking plant asking if it is poison sumac. Poison Sumac. I live in the Northeast United States, and the area it’s growing is very warm and well watered but not swampy. Tree of Heaven Ailanthis altissima has flower clusters that cascade out and down from the center. It's leaves are pinnately compound with 11 to 31 lance-shaped leaflets. I familiarized myself with Poison Sumac of course prior to looking for the Staghorn and Smooth Sumac. Poison sumac is in the same genus as Eastern poison-ivy, Western poison-ivy, Eastern poison-oak, and Western poison-oak, which means it’s closely related to them. The fruit is fuzzy, starts green, and turns to red. Most of Pennsylvania seems to be missing poison oak. How do i get rid of the plants? I live in Saylorsburg PA, Hi Barbara, I think you are largely correct. It is a shrub which can grow to several metres in height. A staghorn sumac leaf will have at least 13 leaflets on it (usually more); a poison sumac leaf will have at most around 13 leaflets (usually fewer). Preschoolers: “What do we call this crazy swimming creature?”, Sumac relatives | Makulita - [...] Ask a Naturalist.com » How do you identify Poison Sumac?Jul 17, 2011 … I often hear people referring to…. The stems are densely pubescent with a firm white pith. In fact, they are poisonous, but taste bad so few people try eating 🙂. Both Sumac and Tree of Heaven are in flower in northeast Ohio, which in fact is one of the best ways to tell them apart. Someone above asked what helps get rid of the rash, and I have found that Chickweed Salve is very good for that, you can find it on amazon and it soothes/heals Sumac, Poison Oak, Ivy, Red Ant, and other Insect bites. Rhus typhina, velvet or staghorn sumac of the Anacardiaceae family, to which mango, cashews and poison ivy all belong. After all, until recently sumac, poison ivy, and poison oak were all classified under the same genus, Rhus.Then wiser minds prevailed and poison ivy and oak were moved to a different genus, Toxicodendron, which is Latin for "poison tree. I did find one range map that shows it in the southeast corner of PA. https://www.poison-ivy.org/poison-ivy-overview. Poison sumac has up to 13 leaflets on the compound leaf, 6 pairs and one at the end. Your email address will not be published. Staghorn sumac parts were used in similar medicinal remedies. Hi Tom, I have read that in Pennsylvania poison oak is not native there. They are closely related and both are highly variable. But staghorn sumac is not poisonous. Staghorn sumac has dentated leaves; in other words it has rough edges. The poison sumac plant is categorized as a deciduous shrub, but it can grow quite tall. I have a red stemmed vine with 5 green leaves in a cluster, has galls on it, growing and sticking around my deck. A quick tip: Since the irritating urushiol is an oil, cleaning any skin that was touched by the oil with a great degreaser can prevent or at least minimize a reaction. However, the flowers can really help if you want to keep (Sumac… Poison sumac, while it looks more like the harmless staghorn sumac than it does its poison ivy and poison oak relatives, is actually more closely related to its itchy family members. One of the few easy ways to tell them apart for sure is that poison ivy berries are smooth, and poison oak berries are fuzzy. This makes it difficult to determine where one species stops and the next begins. In this video, you will learn the difference between Staghorn Sumac and Smooth Sumac. https://duncannonatc.org/doc-poison-ivy-poison-oak-and-poison-sumac/, https://www.poison-ivy.org/atlantic-poison-oak. Common Name: staghorn sumac, velvet sumac, Rhus hirta, scarlet sumac, upland sumac Family: Anacardiaceae Genus: Rhus Latin Name: Rhus typhina The staghorn sumac in some areas will grow more like a shrub than a tree. Red flowers suggests staghorn sumac, not poison sumac. Trivia: Doesn’t sound like poison ivy, since that grows in three leave clusters. Species in this family range from medium-sized trees to herbs a few inches high. And part of the property is damp clay swamp. Poison sumac, sometimes also called thunderwood, is a type woody shrub that belongs to the same family of plants as poison ivy. Some people report a sensitivity to all sumacs, so it’s a good idea to wear gloves and long clothing if you’re going to remove them. In fact, many wildlife species will eat berries of poison sumac without contracting the same itchy rash most humans will suffer by just touching the plant! Poison sumac has a thick trunk, and sturdy branches, so many people think of it as a tree. What is this Jelly-like Blob Under My Dock? Staghorn sumacs like to grow together in big groups. Hi Gaynell, Poison sumac does not have thorns. Can you email photos to tom@askanaturalist.com? Sumac is in the same family as both of those plants. The most common non-poisonous sumac, staghorn sumac, bears bright orange or red berries which grow at the ends of the stems, and they are held upright on the stems. You need to be aware of this when you eat sumac for the first time. Don’t confuse the sumac spice with poison sumac. Poison sumac typically … One of the best examples of such look-alikes is Ailanthus altissima (Tree-of-Heaven) and two native sumacs to the region, Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac) and Rhus glabra (smooth sumac). Sumac Spice vs. But can you send a photo to tom@askanaturalist.com? This site is really useful for identifying poison sumac, poison ivy and poison oak:  http://www.poison-ivy.org/poison-sumac. Poison sumac leaves have smooth edges (don’t touch to find out! Does poison sumac have white flowers and is thorny? College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Staghorn and smooth sumac have more than 13 leaflets, and the leaflets have a serrated edge. Staghorn sumac trees are short – between five and 15 feet tall – and the branches have between 4 and 15 pairs of long, pointed leaves. Smooth sumac occurs in open woods, brushy areas along roadsides, and fencerows. I’ve had many very severe and widespread reactions to ivy and oak, so I don’t want to take a chance removing it myself, if it is indeed sumac. Poison Ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are all related to the edible kind of sumac, but all look different. Hi Carrie, Thanks for writing. And the flowers are greenish. Staghorn sumac has similar leaf arrangement to poison sumac but it has fuzzy fruit and stems. To differentiate poison sumac from other common sumacs, count the number of leaflets. However, poison oak is found in New Jersey and in all the states to the south of Pennsylvania, and of course, plants don’t recognize borders, so it’s a fair bet that you could find poison oak in some parts of the state if you looked hard enough. Dwarf sumac can have the same number of leaflets as poison sumac, but the leaf stalk has “wings”, as show in figure 3, in keeping with its alternate name, winged sumac. Tecnu is an inexpensive OTC product found in many pharmacies that works well for urushiol (including skunk spray!). It is pokeweed. Unlike the staghorn sumac, it has smooth, hairless stems and fruit. Sumac’s dried, ground fruit is a common spice in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, and the dried berries can also be … The Staghorn and Smooth Sumac likes well drained hilly areas, though they are often by water - just not in standing water or soaked land.