Posted: 9/23/2011 2:16:21 PM EDT
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Tree guys help me out here?
I have a few Sumac's surrounding my property. It is mostly damp soil as forest soil here tends to be so that's not an indicator. One tree almost a good sized bush has red berries not in a cluster. Its pretty much like a Holly except the leaves are the definite compound leaves of the Sumac. The leaves are almost Elm in color and come to a rounded sharp point. The other tree has clustered green berries, same compound leaf structure, and the leaves are very wax like and more spear point symmetrically shaped. Neither of the trees has the characteristic red stems of poison Sumac which I understand is the real indicator. Neither have what I would call a gray or white berry. Any comments would be appreciated? I'll post pics if if helps but will have to wait till I get some sun. Google pictures have not helped. Tj |
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TJ,
Try this listing of TN sumacs and see if anything looks familiar: http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/tree-key/rhus-key.htm Also, lookup Devil's Walking Stick. |
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One more. Here's a very nice identification and info guide for non-native species, in case it's something exotic. It's a big PDF, so you may want to right click and 'save as': http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/fia/manual/Nonnative_Invasive_Plants_of_Southern_Forests.pdf |
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Quoted:
TJ, Try this listing of TN sumacs and see if anything looks familiar: http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/tree-key/rhus-key.htm Also, lookup Devil's Walking Stick. Thanks, that's a link I hadn't tried yet. 
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Do the leafs alternate or are they straight across from one another? (pinnate)
Sumac leaf is usually about as long as your pinky but can be a little longer. There should be an odd number of leafs on the branch, pairs on each side and one on the end. Leafs can be bright green to reddish, but the twigs are usually red. Berries are red, but could be green if not ripe. If in doubt, destroy. I have never had the rash from sumac (I don't get a rash from ivy or oak either, yeah me!) but I have seen it and it is nasty. Been told that it hurts much worse than poison ivy and oak. |
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Quoted:
Do the leafs alternate or are they straight across from one another? (pinnate) Sumac leaf is usually about as long as your pinky but can be a little longer. There should be an odd number of leafs on the branch, pairs on each side and one on the end. Leafs can be bright green to reddish, but the twigs are usually red. Berries are red, but could be green if not ripe. If in doubt, destroy. I have never had the rash from sumac (I don't get a rash from ivy or oak either, yeah me!) but I have seen it and it is nasty. Been told that it hurts much worse than poison ivy and oak. Thanks, its definitely Sumac, however there's like a dozen varieties of Sumac all of it far more common than poison Sumac. Some of it very useful stuff, the bark for baskets and rope while the berries can be used for spice or actually a lemonaide drink. I don't really have any harvest plans but the two I have are providing some nice isolation and shade and are quite decorative this time of year. We've not had health issues with them but my treeline definately has Ivy and poison oak issues I have to address every year. We also have a lot of Momosa which we actually like too. These small decorate trees actually make a better than average barrier. My concern is they're getting big and I need to trim them back some and what impact that may have especially on my dogs. If I'm reading right, red berries is not poisonous, green in cluster pods is not, but white/gray not in cluster pods is and red stems is an indication of is. Tj |
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Quoted:
If I'm reading right, red berries is not poisonous, green in cluster pods is not, but white/gray not in cluster pods is and red stems is an indication of is. Tj TJ, My old Boy Scout Fieldbook (green cover, 1980's pub date) says that ripe red Staghorn Sumac berries can be crushed in water to make a drink that tastes like pink lemonade. I've never tried it myself. 
Here's a link to someone's recipe: http://www.localharvest.org/blog/12447/entry/staghorn_sumac_lemonade |