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sumac

16 years ago

I pulled up a sumac that was growing on the road side, it is quite small and there are plenty of others growing nearby. My question is this...is this tree poisonous like poison ivy? This is not a shrub but a small tree, there were larger trees around, up to around 15-18 feet growing nearby.

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Comments (6)

Iris GW
16 years ago
Compare your plant to Ailanthus altissima, Tree of Heaven, also known as "stinking sumac".

The growing conditions you describe sound like it, including the height of the older ones.

The true poison sumac is Toxicodendron vernix or Rhus vernix. You could look up pictures of that to see if that is what you got if you don't think it is Tree of Heaven. There are other "real" sumacs (in the Rhus family) that are nice plants. They have very distinctive flower clusters and berries.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ailanthus altissima
friesfan1
16 years ago
Hi Katkat,
If this is the wild sumac, is it something you
really want in your yard?
Where I live, the wild sumac turn a brillant red and then
shed their leaves earlier than the tame hybrid varieties.

I recently purchased a Tiger Eye Sumac and still has
its leaves, while those wild things are all but gone.

Mary
z 5b KS
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I also use sumac in Lars' Algerian Chicken, which is good both hot and as leftovers. I did "forage" some staghorn sumac last year, dried and powdered it and ended with with a quart jar full. I think I may have over done it a little. Here hikers pick the staghorn sumac berries and make "lemonade", they stuff a sprig of the berries into their water bottles and it gives a nice citrus flavor. Here is the Algerian Chicken recipe that I have on file: Algerian Roasted Chicken -- Lars--based on recipe by Chef Farid Zadi 1 whole chicken 4 cloves of garlic 1-1/2 tbsp Kosher salt 1 teaspoon of sumac 1/2 teaspoon of sesame seeds 1/2 tsp coriander seeds 1/2 tsp fenugreek 3/4 tsp cumin 3 tablespoons of butter, room temperature 1 tbsp minced Thai basil (or 1/2 tsp fennel) 2 lemons 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Freshly ground black pepper extra herbs, 1 tsp each minced fresh oregano and basil, optional 4-5 sprigs of thyme Start charcoal for outdoor barbeque, using large chunks of mesquite wood and charcoal. Place the chicken in a roasting pan with a rack. Slide your fingers under the breasts to separate the skin from the meat, turn the chicken over and do the same with the thighs. Mash the garlic with 1-1/2 tablespoons of salt in a mortar and pestle or finely chop the garlic and incorporate the salt into it with the side of your knife or back of a spoon. Add the sumac, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, and cumin and mix to pulverize the seeds. Add butter and basil and combine to mix. Tuck pieces of the butter into the "pockets" under the skin. Squeeze the juice of one lemon all over the chicken, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle freshly ground black pepper. Season the cavity with pepper, tuck in the lemon halves and more herbs into the cavity if desired. Place the chicken on the barbeque and cover, leaving vents fully open to maintain heat. Baste the chicken every 15 minutes alternating water and pan drippings. Midway through cooking turn the chicken 90 degrees. Continue frequent basting. The cooking time for a 3-1/2 pound bird is about 1-1/2 hours, depending on how hot your fire is. Cook to an internal temperature of 160°, measured in the thigh. Let rest covered about 30 minutes before carving. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the roasting juices, and pour into a gravy boat. Add salt, if needed. Annie
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Embothrium
16 years ago
'Bailtiger' is not a hybrid, merely a selection of staghorn sumac. Plant sold as cutleaf smooth sumac may, in fact be a hybrid between smooth and staghorn sumacs.

Your 'Bailtiger' might be on a different schedule than nearby wild sumacs due to differences in site conditions, your planting site perhaps moister, or to the wild specimens belonging to a different species entirely (such as smooth sumac).
Dibbit
16 years ago
Or, it might be a selection that DOES hold its leaves longer, as well as having other attributes.

The other thing about the native staghorn sumac is that it make colonies by suckering. If I didn't bush-hog my fields at least once a year, then the thickets of sumac that grow in a couple of places would expand to fill up a lot more of the fields than I allot them. I'm not saying, don't have it as a garden tree, just that you should be aware of this.
scotjute Z8
16 years ago
The general rule is that if it has reddish "berries" or fruits it is not poisonous. Imdians and early settlers typically made tea from these trees. The variety of Sumac known as Prairie Flameleaf is sometimes planted down here for its red leaf color in the fall.
fatamorgana2121
16 years ago
Here's a page on the staghorn sumac, the sumac most common where I live. They are a small, relatively short lived native small tree. They have an interesting rounded look to the family-like colonies. The berries add winter color and interest.

As far as poison sumac, I wouldn't expect it near the road. I have only found it in marshy, swampy areas. It has white berries, unlike our more friendly sumacs.

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Rhus typhina

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