Sumac

Sumac

Staghorn Sumac-Rhus typhina

Shining or Winged Sumac-Rhus copallina

Smooth Sumac-Rhus glabra

Sumac is a Native Tennessee plant and a member of the Anacardiaceae family that includes Cashews and Mangoes. This small tree or shrub can grow from 3 ft to 33 ft tall. Sumac has fern-like leaves, cone like clusters of white, yellow-green, or red flowers, and fuzzy red fruits or berries. It is often found growing in dry and poor soil. The berries attract birds and other wildlife. The twigs have a milky sap and can be smooth or hairy.

Sumac Crown growing in the wild. Image by Kanoelani Achi.

Sumac-Edible Parts

Harvest ripe fruit clusters in late summer and throughout fall. The berries are often used to make Sumac Berry Lemonade. Tea can be made from the berries, leaves, and roots. A syrup can be made from the bark, and a poultice can be made from the berries, leaves, or root bark. The very young, peeled shoots are edible, and the leaves can be dried and smoked.

Sumac is potentially toxic in large or concentrated doses. Poison Sumac has white berries and grows in swampy areas.

Harvested Sumac berries and leaves drying on racks. Image by Cori Achi.

Many Uses Of Sumac

The Cherokee & other indigenous tribes used Sumac for sore throats, to reduce fever, for urinary tract problems, & diabetes. Fresh bruised leaves and berries were made into a poultice to soothe poison ivy. The berries were often chewed to quench thirst. The leaves were smoked with tobacco for head & lung problems.

Sumac is high in Vitamin C. The leaves and stems were used for centuries in tanning leather. Sumac is also used to make dyes or mordant for dyes.

Herbal Benefits: Postpartum bleeding, stimulate lactation, vomiting, bed-wetting, diarrhea, asthma, syphilis, painful urination, tuberculosis, colds, vaginal yeast infections, gonorrhea, suppressed appetite, to stop bleeding, cold sores, and for swollen lymph nodes.

Sumac berries in a basket. Image by Kanoelani Achi.

Sumac- Tea Recipe

Pick several clusters of berries and slightly crush the berries to help release their flavor.

Soak berry clusters in cold water over night. Use cold water, as hot water can destroy the vitamin C content.

Strain the tea through a coffee filter or cheese cloth to remove the berries and particles so all you are left with is the tea.

Sources: Sumac a Monograph https://www.coloradoayurveda.org/articles/sumac-a-monograph

The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods- By Nicole Apelian, Ph.D.

Making Sumac Tea https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/making_sumac_tea

Yucca