TD Tree BeeForests Canada

Staghorn Sumac

Rhus typhina

Native

Staghorn Sumac is a large shrub or small tree, typically growing 5 meters tall. It is native to eastern North America and is primarily found in southeastern Canada. It tends to form dense thickets which provide food and shelter for wildlife. The fruit, bark and leaves were used to tan hides and the fruits are edible in small quantities. Staghorn Sumac is found in open, disturbed sites on dry rocky or sandy soil. It is easily confused with smooth sumac.

Leaf

Compound and pinnately divided with 11-31 leaflets. Central stalks reddish and hairy. Leaves dark green above and paler and hairy underneath. Leaves bright red in the fall.

Fruit/Seed

Reddish, fuzzy in dense cone-shaped clusters at branch tips.

Bark

Young bark yellowish-brown with lenticels (pores). Mature bark scaly.

Flower

Yellowish-green and tiny. Male and female on separate trees. Flowers in long cone-shaped clusters in June-July.

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158Species

Staghorn Sumac | Tree Bee