Feature Article October 9, 2003
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Colorful SumacOn the hillsides, the roadsides, and the fencerows, the Staghorn Sumac leaves have started to change to autumn colours, and the cone-shaped fruit clusters are a deep, rich red. Not particularly noticeable in spring or summer as the tiny, insignificant, green flowers bloom, or as it spreads from root suckers into abandoned fields, it comes into its own in autumn. Then the hillside may suddenly appear to have been covered by an army in a medley of yellow, gold or deep red colors.
Staghorn Sumac is a large, open, spreading shrub or small tree that may grow to a height of five to six meters. Usually produced on separate trees, both the pollen flowers and the seed flowers attract bees, which readily pollinate them. Its dark green, summer foliage consists of large leaves each with long, pointed leaflets. The spreading branches have thick stems covered with dense, velvety, reddish brown hairs, looking much like the velvet of a deer's antlers, hence the name, and sometimes also called Velvet Sumac. Adaptable and rapid-growing, it is sometimes called a weed, nevertheless with its distinctive shape, exotic-looking foliage, furry twigs and cones of red berries, it is touted by some as one of the best ornamentals available where it is not found naturally, and can be put in clumps for natural plantings, or as a single specimen where root suckers will be controlled by mowing.
Shallow, wide spreading roots make sumac a good choice for soil conservation along slopes, streams and pond sides if the soil is well-drained. Staghorn Sumac is an excellent addition to a windbreak if the spreading root suckers will not cause problems. Since it is resistant to salt, this is one of the best native shrubs for protection along shorelines or highways.
The juicy, red fruit, closely packed on the large, upright cones, are, like the branches, covered with tiny red hairs. Tiny, less than half a centimeter in diameter, they are filled with a sour juice rich in malic acid and tannin, and, if collected soon after turning red, could be used to make wine. Left on the shrubs the fruit is a welcome food source for Ruffed Grouse, Ring-necked Pheasant, Eastern Phoebe, American Crow, Northern Mockingbird, Gray Catbird, American Robin, thrushes, Eastern Bluebird and European starling. It is also used by over 30 other species, and since the fruit remains throughout most of the winter, it is an excellent emergency source of food for our bird and animal friends. Enjoy Staghorn Sumac as one of the colorful gifts of autumn!Observations: Lola Stacey, of Brokenhead Farm near Harrowsmith, reports that her Scarlet Runner Beans have not yielded any crop because Rose-breasted Grosbeaks ate all the blossoms. Now the plants are blooming again, just in time for the frost. Share your stories, call Jean at 268-2518.
