DWARF SUMAC

The dwarf sumac is common in the Historic Triangle area where it often attains a height of twenty feet. The leaves are compound and carry nine to twenty-three leaflets.

Tiny flowers appear in June but are soon replaced by cone-shaped clusters of seeds. The wine-colored cones are striking in appearance and make the sumac easy to recognize.

In early September, the leaves start their change to colorful garbs ranging from brilliant yellow to crimson. When the fruits dry, they can be glazed and used in flower arrangements. In the winter, the dried seeds provide food for many kinds of birds.

The prolific sumac grows in sterile soil where the tenuous root system helps to check erosion.

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