These berries are also used as a salad topping, and you can include them in your favorite dressings. Sumac berries also have a long history as an herbal remedy. Then you’ll be able to sift the sumac powder through a fine mesh strainer for later use. Thank you soooo much! If it's good and lemony you'll know it! It provides beautiful leaves and some fruit. In fact, before lemons were imported to Europe, the Romans used these berries to add a tangy taste to their meals. 1/2 gallon cold water To find sumac, look along the edges of woods, roadways* and along banks and other non-wooded but unmaintained areas. Edible Parts Harvest ripe berry-like drupes from June to September, but not after a rainstorm which can wash off the tasty malic acid flavor. The fragrant sumac has three-parted leaves,… EDIBLE INNER SHOOT TIPS : Peeled, young shoots are edible. Add cold water (not hot, and definitely not boiling -- this will bring out tannins and make for a much less pleasant experience) and let it sit somewhere cool and dark for at least an hour or two. Garden: Suitable for gardens yes Nursery Unknown Compost no Size at acquisition Unknown Garden location Unknown Garden notes Rhus copallinum can survive very cold winters with annual averages as low as -30 Fahrenheit.It does well in dry soils. Shamrock plants flourish in a 70-75° daytime environment. In addition, poison sumac normally grows in swampy areas, so if you stick to the dry areas that Staghorn sumac prefers, you’re unlikely to ever run across a poison sumac tree. Ground, dried sumac berries taste great as a spice rub for lamb, fish and chicken. Sumac Shrubs Overview of Sumac: fall foliage, culinary uses, attracts wild birds. Fall Foraging: Edible Sumac. Rhus copallinum - Shining Sumac. The somewhat sour berrylike fruits are edible and rich in vitamin A. Staghorn sumac grows wild throughout the Great Plains and the eastern half of the United States. If it surprises you that rash-causing poison sumac has family ties with a plant that bears edible nuts, be prepared to be surprised again: Mango trees ( Mangifera spp .) It’s also prolific in the Old World and the Middle East. In my area of the Midwest, the staghorn sumac is what’s available, while in the south, shining sumac is more common. You can use the berries as they are, or you can dry them for use throughout the winter. It can be used as a rub or seasoning on meat, fish or salad and used on kebabs. It is also used in modern Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine (for instance, in pita wraps). Health benefits of Sumac It is a great addition to your condiments, I only have dried, powdered Summac, but I think I’ll try to grow a bush to get a fresh berry supply and try recipes using it. What can you do with sumac berries? Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Full Moon Calendar – Dates, Times and Names, Groundhog Day: Forecast, Facts, and Folklore, Saint Patrick's Day: History, Folklore, and Ideas, Thanksgiving Day (Recipes, Traditions and Trivia). This family does include those aforementioned “Poison [blank]” species, yes, but it also includes cashews, pistachios, and mangoes. I really enjoyed reading about sumac. The two species that I’ve observed most commonly around the Ohio River Valley are R. typhina (staghorn sumac) and R. copallina (winged or shining sumac), but once you develop an eye for this genus they’re all very easy to spot. Here are some of the ways people around the world use it, plus some instructions for harvesting, drying, and using it in a recipe! I grind the berries and use them on all sorts of Middle Eastern-type dishes, great on yoghurt. Latin (scientific) name: Rhus copallina Common English name: Shining sumac Other names: French name: Sumac brillant Copyright ©2020. 1. How do you know when it is ready? It is hardy to zone (UK) 5 and is not frost tender. This large shrub has compound leaves, meaning each leaf is composed of several leaflets. Drying the berries and sifting them through a fine sieve, not a flour sifter, gives a good supply of seasoning sumac. Sugar to taste. A predominantly tropical family, including several edible products (mango, cashew, pistachio) as well as poisonous plants. However, like Eastwood’s good side in the movie, these same species can sooth us as we drive by on the freeway in a race to wherever. These small trees are drought-tolerant, and they’ll handle a wide range of temperature zones. Rhus aromatica, commonly called fragrant sumac, is a deciduous Missouri native shrub which occurs in open woods, glades and thickets throughout the State.A dense, low-growing, rambling shrub which spreads by root suckers to form thickets in the wild. I will make a cough syrup from it for the winter. Desserts and drinks also can be dressed with sumac as a syrup. ANACARDIACEAE shining sumac, flaming sumac. The sumacs are a group of 35 species that belong to the Rhus genus in the Anacardiaceae (cashew) family of plants. California Residents: I agree to opt-in to news and promotions offered by Farmers' Almanac. My father grew up in Missouri and Summered in Kansas on his grandfather’s farm. These berries have a tart flavor that is reminiscent of lemons, but not as sour. Rhus copallinum is the scientific name of the native Florida Sumac species. It is similar to smooth sumac, except the leaves are untoothed. If you see pith, which is an off-white core, it is too old. She specializes in home, garden, environmental and green living topics. The leaves are pinnately compound, which is how botanists describe a single leaf that’s composed of many  small “leaflets”. It is a thicket-forming shrub or small tree with a rounded top. This suckering species is great for roadside plantings, fall color, and erosion control. Make sure the berries ARE red, not white. Rhus copallinum, commonly called dwarf sumac, flameleaf sumac, winged sumac and shining sumac, is a multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that is native to eastern North America from New York to Alabama and Florida. When most people think of “sumac,” they think of the itchy relative of poison ivy. I recently learned that certain species have a long history of traditional use as a spice in Sicily, where my great-grandparents came from. Will it grow in the Northern California mountains? Middle Eastern chefs use sumac as a topping for fattoush salad, and are often sprinkled on hummus to add both color and a zesty flavor. Winged (dwarf, or shining) sumac (R. copallinum) is most common south of the Missouri River. The sumac gives us a fruit, the big red cone, composed of individual drupes, similar to the little drupes that make up the knobbed appearance of common raspberries and blackberries. Rhus copallina is a deciduous Shrub growing to 2 m (6ft) by 2 m (6ft) at a fast rate. Last year I waited too long and it had lost some flavor. Thanks from Sicily! belong to the same family. Staghorn sumac has very fuzzy stems, hence the name staghorn. Winged sumac—which is also known by a variety of other common names, including dwarf sumac, flameleaf sumac, and shining sumac—is a multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub or small tree that thrives in dry soils in open areas where it often forms large colonies. Sumac simply means “red,” probably a reference to the berry color of most sumacs. Sumac plants generally stand anywhere from 5 to 20 feet tall, and grow in clusters characteristic of plants that clone themselves through root suckers (see also: pawpaws). But sumac's use as a spice is not relegated to the distant past. Shiny, pointed oval-shaped leaves occur in opposing pairs along branches. As kids they enjoyed makng this pink lemonade! Leaves simple, entire. The clusters always grow in a distinct cone shape and are easy to harvest by cutting where they attach to the stem of the plant. Then add enough sugar to sweeten the drink, but not so much that you lose the tangy flavor. Here's how you do it: take at least 6 decent-sized berry clusters and squish them into a gallon jug -- you don't have to totally pulverize them, but just rough 'em up a bit. Noteworthy Characteristics. However, anyone with known allergies to any member of the Cashew Family should avoid consuming sumac. Chinese New Year: Traditions and Superstitions, Spring Equinox and the First Day of Spring, Summer Solstice and the First Day of Summer, https://www.kcet.org/home-garden/8-ways-to-use-california-sumac-for-the-holidays. The window to harvest runs from August in hotter climates through September and October where it's cooler, but the flavor will get weaker each time a heavy rain comes through and washes a little more tasty fuzz off of the seeds. If you’re worried about accidentally picking poison sumac berries, just remember that poison sumac berries are white, not red. Shining sumac holds true to the genus, displaying vibrant fall color and hairy, edible fruits that can be steeped for a flavorful infusion. For more information about this please visit. Hi Stevens, it appears that it does grow in California: https://www.kcet.org/home-garden/8-ways-to-use-california-sumac-for-the-holidays. They may turn brown, but the under berries may still be red. Ancient Roman chefs used sumac berries to produce sour accents. The shining dark green foliage turns a flaming red to red-purple in the fall. - Maple; Achillea filipendulina - Gold Yarrow; Adkins Arboretum Forest Walk; Allium sativum - Garlic; Allium schoenoprasum - Chives; Allium vineale - Wild Onion; Amelanchier spp. Here’s where it becomes a no-brainer to differentiate between poison and edible sumac: T. vernix (the bad stuff) produces fruits in clusters that hang down from the stem and resemble grape clusters. I’ve been reading about sumac but this website is the first to clearly identify how to use the plant and proper drying procedures. Staghorn sumac, however, is an entirely different variety, and is both edible and delicious! This 'Prairie Flame' Winged Sumac is a new cultivar from the partnership of Morton Arboretum and Chicagoland Grows, a northern Illinois nursery association. VERY important. People keep it in shakers on the table to season their favorite foods in much the same way that we use salt or pepper. Rhus copallinum . Unlike sumac spice, poison sumac is not edible and can actually be extremely dangerous to health. This botanical group is also called the "cashew" family, and cashew trees ( Anacardium occidentale ) are part of it. Rhus copallinum is native to Eastern North America.The Florida Native Sumac is a … References Amber Kanuckel is a freelance writer from rural Ohio who loves all things outdoors. All the Sumac species (Rhus) belong to the Cashew family of plants. Identification: Winged sumac is a shrub or small tree that can reach 20' (6.1 m) in height, and up to 10' (3 m) around. If you see pith, which is an off-white core, it is too old. Some even call it the “Lemonade Tree.” Give it a try! Early pioneers treated coughs, sore throats and fevers with sumac, while American Indians used these berries to treat anything from reproductive problems to stomachaches and wounds. Harvesting your own sumac berries is easy. Hi Ronald, the red berries on the tree are pretty dry. To harvest the berries, simply cut the clusters, called “bobs” away from the trees. After that, pour your sumac-ade over ice and enjoy! It has edible relatives that are similar, such as Smooth Sumac. From there, you might want to run your Rhus juice through a cheesecloth or at least a strainer to make sure you get all of the bits of stems and seeds out along with any grubs or other insects who may have been hiding inside. Add the berries to the water and use a potato masher or a spoon to crush the berries so they release their flavor. The fruits last into the winter, supplying a veritable feast for a variety of bird species. Use the “too large to sift” remaining seed hulls to store in a tea tin for future tea or lemonade. Eastern Shore Food Lab » About the Lab » Plant Research » Rhus copallinum - Shining Sumac. These leaflets hang down, have serrations (teeth) along the edges and turn a radiant red or orange in the fall. They are eaten by wildlife and can be made into a lemonade-like drink. The plant contains a compound called urushiol, which can irritate the skin and mucus membranes, causing a poison sumac rash. Almanac Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. Mother's Day: Facts, Folklore, Recipes, and Ideas, Father's Day: History and Celebration Ideas. It is … What is a conifer tree vs. a deciduous tree? You'll know our friendly sumacs are ripe when you brush your hand across them and pick up a faint citrus-y scent. Welcome to the famous Dave's Garden website. Ovens usually can’t heat low enough to dry them gently (125º-150º). Smoky Avocado, Sumac and Hemp Crostini. Always heard they were poison. Names. Also, I make a wild seed cracker and I use these and Monarda (wild bergamot, oswego tea) to flavor them, elkhorn sumac is a pretty hardy small tree or bush it grows in south east idaho. Additionally, deer browse the twigs of the species. Roll a couple of the velvety berries between your fingers and then give your finger a lick – you’ll taste the tartness!