Aromatic Sumac

La Russell Stream Team members were excited to discover that the Aromatic Sumac seedlings had produced berries for the first time this year. They are a crimson color. Other names for Aromatic Sumac include: Rhus aromatica and coriaria, Fragrant Sumac, and Sweet Sumac. Not to be confused with other poisonous varieties. This species is a great wildlife food. Birds, raccoons, opossums, chipmunks and deer eat the fruit, while rabbits eat the bark during hard winters.

Not all seedlings had berries. This species was selected for planting on a highly erodible gravel embankment. Click on photograph for a close-up of the berries. Here are several links that you may find interesting about the Aromatic Sumac species.
Herb of the Month
Wildflower Center
Ozark Naturalist's Journal