Smooth sumac, Scarlet sumach, Mountain sumac, Vinegar tree
Rhus glabra

Family: Anacardiaceae

What it is like

A bushy shrub. It grows 1.8-3.7 m tall. It spreads 2.4 m wide. The leaves are alternate and compound. The leaves are 30 cm long and there are 11-31 leaflets. The leaflets are smooth. They are 5-10 cm long. They have whitish hairs. The leaflets are sword shaped and have teeth along the edge. The leaves turn red and yellow in autumn. The flowers are 3 mm wide and have 5 white petals. They are crowded in large clusters 20 cm long. The fruit are scarlet and hairy. They occur in clusters. It will form hybrids with staghorn sumac.

There are about 200 Rhus species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is frost hardy. It grows especially on sandy soils. It grows up to about 2,000 m altitude in SE regions of the USA. It suits hardiness zones 2-9. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, Mexico, North America, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The berries are eaten. They can be dried. They are used to make a sour drink. The fruit are bruised in water, then the liquid strained through a cloth and sugar added. The raw young shoots are eaten as a salad. The peeled roots are eaten raw.

The fruit are eaten especially by children.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, roots

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Rhus borealis Greene; Rhus calophylla Greene; Rhus cismontana Green; Rhus glabra var. borealis Britton; Rhus occidentalis (Torr.) Blank.;