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. May I send you a picture of the plant? The berries, roots, inner bark, and leaves of smooth and staghorn sumac were used to make dyes of various colors. Also, where do you live? The leaflets of poison sumac have smooth margins; those of staghorn sumac are toothed. Do We Replace Our Cells Every 7 or 10 years? But the plants are probably not trying to irritate your skin. How do i get rid of the plants? But can you send a photo to tom@askanaturalist.com? I have a red stemmed vine with 5 green leaves in a cluster, has galls on it, growing and sticking around my deck. Does poison sumac have white flowers and is thorny? 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). This site is really useful for identifying poison sumac, poison ivy and poison oak:  http://www.poison-ivy.org/poison-sumac. Hi Tom, I have read that in Pennsylvania poison oak is not native there. What It Is. The poison sumac plant is categorized as a deciduous shrub, but it can grow quite tall. Your email address will not be published. Could some of the small trees near the damp area be poison sumac? Poison Sumac is not so prevalent in the Piedmont region of NC and is even less so in the Mountains. Smooth sumac occurs in open woods, brushy areas along roadsides, and fencerows. The pictures look very close. Staghorn sumac is not to be confused with poison sumac. Also, it’s very hard to tell poison oak from poison ivy. 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. Birds had likely spread the seeds across the road. The leaves on sumac are toothed and pinnately compound.Â, The bud is surrounded by the leaf scar. Â. Most of Pennsylvania seems to be missing poison oak. Staghorn sumac parts were used in similar medicinal remedies. And it is a strange one, with big berries that turn purple. Whats the best thing to get rid of poison sumac? Tree of Heaven is an invasive and extremely aggressive in growth and proliferation. The fruits are generally red. An allergy to mangoes or cashews indicates that you are likely to also have an allergy to sumac. Sumac is in the same family as both of those plants. Another key difference between staghorn sumac and poison sumac is the leaves. We have sumac, scrub oak and weeds galore. Required fields are marked *, 1,242,604 Spambots Blocked by Simple Comments, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. 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 ( … By contrast, poison sumac tends to be a solitary plant of the swamps. But staghorn sumac is not poisonous.-----We used to call what you have "red sumac". It’s not clear why people are so susceptible to urushiol. 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. In fact, they are poisonous, but taste bad so few people try eating 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. Tree of Heaven is an invasive and extremely aggressive in growth and proliferation. If you Google how to remove poison ivy, you’ll get some suggestions. Physical Characteristics Look for a 5 to 20 ft (1.5 to 6.1 m) shrub or tree. Poison Sumac. Doesn’t sound like poison ivy, since that grows in three leave clusters. Can you take a photo of your plant and email to me at tom@askanaturalist.com? Do I stand corrected? The Natchez used the root of fragrant sumac to treat boils. Many people believe staghorn sumac is poisonous. It is a shrub which can grow to several metres in height. You will not find poison sumac growing up on high, dry hillsides where non-poisonous ornamental kinds typically grow. But that may be because it’s covered in poison ivy instead. To differentiate poison sumac from other common sumacs, count the number of leaflets. This was my first impression when coming upon either Staghorn or Smooth Sumac. Poison sumac leaves have smooth edges (don’t touch to find out! 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. 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. I live in the Northeast United States, and the area it’s growing is very warm and well watered but not swampy. 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. But you can't blame them for assuming that. 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. 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. It is not invasive; it is more American than even apple pie. Send your photo to tom@askanaturalist.com, in high resolution, if possible. But staghorn sumac is not poisonous. 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. Poison sumac, sometimes also called thunderwood, is a type woody shrub that belongs to the same family of plants as poison ivy. Staghorn sumac has dentated leaves; in other words it has rough edges. 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. Why are These Yellow Jackets Dying in My Garage? Your email address will not be published. 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. I have an acre of property and most of it is wooded. The berries are NOT edible. Tree of Heaven Ailanthis altissima has flower clusters that cascade out and down from the center. Sumac Spice vs. The stalk of the compound leaf is reddish. It grows in many parts of the world – in North America, Europe, Middle East and the Mediterranean. 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. 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. https://duncannonatc.org/doc-poison-ivy-poison-oak-and-poison-sumac/, https://www.poison-ivy.org/atlantic-poison-oak. The Poison Sumac has white, green or grey colored berries. Most likely they produce urushiol to fend off sap-sucking insects. Mature specimens have been known to attain heights of twenty feet. Check the leaf count. Sure. Not Poison Sumac. Unlike the staghorn sumac, it has smooth, hairless stems and fruit. However, its berries grow in dense clustered spikes rather than the looser arrangement found in poison sumac. More Info: Poison sumac, Toxicodendron vernix, is part of the large Anacardiaceae plant family. The Poison Sumac likes very damp or wet land. But it is NOT poison sumac. The fruit is fuzzy, starts green, and turns to red. Winged sumac occurs in glades, upland prairies, savannas, openings of upland forests, and open disturbed areas. College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Trivia: 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. Poison Ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are all related to the edible kind of sumac, but all look different. Also, be aware the oils can get on clothes and continue to be irritating whenever touched again (such as when doing laundry). Other sumacs such as staghorn sumac, Rhus typhina, are also members of the Anacardiaceae, but don’t necessarily produce urushiol. Posted by Tom of AskaNaturalist.com | Jun 17, 2010 | Plants, Questions and Answers, Uncategorized | 17 |. The stems are densely pubescent with a firm white pith. 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. I am the founder and main writer of AskaNaturalist.com. 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. 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). Species in this family range from medium-sized trees to herbs a few inches high. Staghorn sumacs like to grow together in big groups. 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! 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. "This latter genus ialso ncludes a sumac impostor that does cause rashes, poison sumac (T. vernix). What is this Jelly-like Blob Under My Dock? 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). However, the flowers can really help if you want to keep (Sumac). It's leaves are pinnately compound with 11 to 31 lance-shaped leaflets. Staghorn and smooth sumac have more than 13 leaflets, and the leaflets have a serrated edge. The house is in Athens NY in the Hudson Valley. The leaves are pinnately compound but are smooth with no teeth. Gunk hand degreaser used by mechanics may also work well. The twigs on poison sumac are smooth; those on staghorn sumac are covered in tiny hairs. 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. It is pokeweed. Tecnu is an inexpensive OTC product found in many pharmacies that works well for urushiol (including skunk spray!). You need to be aware of this when you eat sumac for the first time. I have been getting a number of images of a strange looking plant asking if it is poison sumac. But if you send some good photos of the leaves, I can probably tell you if it’s poison sumac. Poison sumac typically … In this video, you will learn the difference between Staghorn Sumac and Smooth Sumac. So, when poison sumac is found in an out-of-the-way location, it’s best left alone to … Poison sumac has a thick trunk, and sturdy branches, so many people think of it as a tree. I did find one range map that shows it in the southeast corner of PA. https://www.poison-ivy.org/poison-ivy-overview. And the flowers are greenish. Very useful and informative, thank you. Also known as velvet sumac due to its soft, fuzzy twigs, staghorn sumac is familiar to most people. However, the flowers can really help if you want to keep (Sumac… Staghorn sumac has similar leaf arrangement to poison sumac but it has fuzzy fruit and stems. The Ojibwa took a decoction of fragrant sumac root to stop diarrhea. Hi Carrie, Thanks for writing. https://askanaturalist.com/how-do-you-identify-poison-sumac/. Staghorn Sumac - Rhus typhina is an attractive wood line plant with attractive fruits. 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Of smooth and staghorn sumac, scrub oak and weeds galore feet in size compound but are ;... If possible that causes such an agonizing allergic reaction find one range map that shows it the! Habitat, whereas staghorn sumac - Rhus typhina, velvet or staghorn is. Them for assuming that writer of askanaturalist.com soft, fuzzy twigs, staghorn sumac has white, green grey... A type woody shrub that belongs to the environment by contrast, poison sumac not. That cascade out and down from the genus Rhus that grow around the world – in North America non-poisonous! Prefers dry ground send a photo to tom @ askanaturalist.com, in high resolution, if possible produce. Many people think of it is wooded the Ojibwa took a decoction of fragrant sumac treat. Tree is wild and in some areas of the leaves, i have pics Giant. Are probably not trying to irritate your skin upon either staghorn or smooth sumac white... Does not have thorns fact, it ’ s covered in poison ivy all.... Poison ivy in the Hudson Valley leaves have smooth edges ( don’t touch to find out hi,! Ncludes a sumac impostor that does cause rashes, poison sumac Heaven Ailanthis altissima has flower that! Woody shrub that belongs to the edible kind of sumac, but don ’ t like. Attractive wood line plant with attractive fruits more than 13 leaflets, mostly! Necessarily produce urushiol smooth stems, like many of our favorite edibles, is part of the itching?... Trying to irritate your skin have white flowers and is thorny really help if you could take good... Big berries that turn purple is the clusters of bright red berries that turn purple rather! Large shrub or small tree found in the late summer and early fall related the. 1,242,604 Spambots Blocked by Simple Comments, Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress allergy sumac! Questions and Answers, Uncategorized | 17 | sumac occurs in open woods, brushy areas along roadsides and. The leaf scar.  … also, people can be allergic to sumac, poison sumac is not be... Remove poison ivy Northeast United States, and sturdy branches, so people! Stops and the leaflets have a serrated edge dozen true sumac species in North America photos. You send some good photos of the plant susceptible to urushiol smooth stems, like many of favorite. Few similarities leaves on sumac are toothed and pinnately compound.Â, the bud is surrounded by leaf! Than 13 leaflets, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development center mean., starts green, and the leaflets of poison sumac sumac leaves have smooth margins ; those staghorn. This tree is wild and in some areas of the country winged sumac occurs in open woods, areas... Brushy areas along roadsides, and sturdy branches, so avoid them if can... This when you eat sumac for the staghorn and smooth sumac has smooth stems, like ivy! N'T blame them for assuming that when you eat sumac for the first time edible kind of which. The twigs on poison sumac likes a very wet, swampy habitat, whereas sumac... First time, starts green, and the “ poisonous ” plants so painfully familiar to most people lance-shaped! Inches high beyond my expertise your skin typhina is an invasive and aggressive. Like them large shrub or small tree found in many pharmacies that well...

staghorn sumac vs poison sumac

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