English: Staghorn sumac
Ojibwe: baakwaanaatig
Spanish: Zumaque de Virginia
Natural history
Staghorn sumac forms a shrub or small narrow-trunked tree. It is native to eastern North America but has been introduced as an ornamental to Colorado and occasionally escapes cultivation. Rhus typhina readily reproduces asexually by sending up new shouts from its root system and in this way can form dense stands where it has escaped from cultivation. It has large leaves comprised of many smaller leaflets and can be distinguished from other similar appearing species of its genus by the dense velvety hairs covering its twigs and leaf stems.
Human history and use
The small red fruits that it produces in dense clusters have commonly been used by Indigenous Peoples to make a lemonade-like infusion. These fruits have also been harvested and stored, typically as a winter food source. In its native range, Staghorn sumac has numerous traditional medicinal uses, many of which have been confirmed by scientific research into its antioxidative, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiparasitic properties.
References:
Ackerfield, J. 2022. Flora of Colorado. Fort Worth, TX: Brit Press.
Moerman D. E. 1998. Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, OR: Timber Press.
Wang, S. and F. Zhu. 2017. Chemical composition and biological activity of staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). Food Chemistry 237: 431-443.
Photo credit:
Photos by Mike Jacob.