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Staghorn Sumac Fact Sheet

Family: Anacardiaceae – Sumac family
Latin name: Rhus typhina
Common name: Staghorn sumac
Rhus typhina - Staghorn sumac winter habitRhus typhina - Staghorn sumac hairy twig with winter buds

Rhus typhina sheds its leaves in the fall, but the fruit may remain all winter.

Rhus typhina is all about being hairy. The branches and fruit are very hairy!


Staghorn sumac spring and summer habitRhus typhina - Staghorn sumac red leaves in fall In summer, the leaves are green. Greenish-yellow flowers are present during June and July. In the fall the leaves turn a brilliant shade of red.

Staghorn Sumac leaves Staghorn Sumac leaves

 
Staghorn Sumac leavesStaghorn Sumac leaves

Staghorn sumac has alternate, compound leaves, 16 to 24 inches long. The leaflets are sharply pointed at the tip and narrowed or rounded at the base. The edges of the leaves are finely serrated. In summer, the leaves of the Rhus typhina are dark green and smooth above but the undersides are pale. The leaves turn red in the fall.


Staghorn sumac flowersStaghorn sumac flowers

Compact clusters of greenish-yellow flowers bloom from June to July. The male and female flowers are usually on separate plants, but some plants have both male and female flowers. Only the female plants produce seeds.


Rhus typhina - Staghorn sumacRhus typhina - Staghorn sumac

 
Rhus typhina - Staghorn sumacRhus typhina - Staghorn sumac

Fruits mature from August to September and may persist through the winter.  The fruiting head is a compact cluster of round, red, hairy fruits called drupes. Each drupe is about ¼ inch in diameter and contains one seed.  There may be 100 to 700 drupes in a cluster. 



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