Go back to homepage
  • Info For
  • Search
  • A-Z Index (Quicklinks)
  • Office Directory
Info For
  • Alumni
  • Parents
  • School Counselors
  • Scholars & Researchers
  • Online Students
  • Academics
    • Degrees & Certificates
    • Departments, Majors & Minors
    • Schools at SBU
    • Study Abroad
    • Special Programs
    • General Education Curriculum
    • Registrar's Office
    • Class Schedules
    • Online Programs
    • Graduate Studies
    • Library
    • University Learning Goals
    • Tutoring & Academic Support
    • High-Impact Learning Experiences/Internships
    • Franciscan Institute
  • Admission & Aid
    • Freshman Admissions
    • Transfer Admissions
    • International Admissions
    • Graduate Admissions
    • Admitted Students
    • Scholarships & Financial Aid
    • Veterans Services
    • St. Bonaventure Online
    • SBU Campus, Maps & Directions
  • Life at SBU
    • Housing and Dining
    • Services for Students
    • Activities & Programs
    • Quick Center for the Arts
    • Campus Safety
    • Conduct at SBU
    • Compliance and Title IX
    • Human Resources
  • Support SBU
    • Make an Impact Through Giving
    • Volunteer Your Time
    • Link with Bona's to fill jobs & internships
    • Contact University Advancement
    • Advancement News
  • Athletics
    • Division I Athletics
    • Richter Center
    • Club Sports
    • Intramurals
    • Sports Camps
  • About SBU
    • SBU Campus, maps & directions
    • University Mission
    • Outcomes
    • How Awesome Leads to Extraordinary at SBU
    • SBU Facts
    • Value of an SBU Education
    • People of SBU
    • University Information
    • Institutional Profile
    • News & Events
    • Outreach Programs & Camps
    • St. Bonaventure Online
Donate Online
  • Home/
  • About SBU/
  • University Mission/
  • University Ministries/
  • Franciscan Center for Social Concern/
  • Sustainability at SBU/
  • Tree Campus USA/
  • Staghorn Sumac
  • Tree Campus USA
  • Trees on the River Trail
  • American Beech
  • Basswood
  • Black Cherry Tree
  • Box Elder
  • Crabapple Tree
  • Hawthorn
  • Musclewood Tree
  • Northern Red Oak
  • Quaking Aspen
  • Red Maple
  • Shagbark Hickory
  • Silver Maple
  • Staghorn Sumac
  • Sugar Maple
  • Sweet Birch
  • White Ash
  • White Oak
  • White Pine
  • Witch Hazel

Staghorn Sumac

Listen to an audio version of this page.

 Location
 At the West Entrance, near mile marker 0.0
 Fact about this tree and why it was chosen
 Staghorn sumac typically grows in colonies. This stand announces its presence to students, staff, and visitors at the west entrance of campus.
 Latin name
 Rhus typhina
 Fun facts
  • Staghorn sumac is an important, though not preferred, winter food source for many non-migratory bird species. Seed germination is improved by passing through the digestive tract of many of these species.
  • Native Americans used staghorn sumac leaves as a substitute for tobacco or in blends with tobacco.
  • The berries, more specifically a drupe (as in cherries, peaches, and plums), when pressed in cold water (hot water will leach the bitter tannins also found in the fruits), release a lemony flavor that can be used to make an “ade”, also known as ‘rhus juice’. Drupes of the more pungent relative, the elm leaved sumac (Rhus coriara), are dried, ground, and used extensively as a lemon substitute or as a component of the spice blend zatar, a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine.

 How to identify this tree:

 Leaf
 Staghorn sumac leaves are large (up to two feet long), arranged alternately on the stem, and divided into 11-31 leaflets. The foliage turns vibrant red in autumn.
 Soil
 Staghorn sumac is indifferent to soil conditions but is shade intolerant. As a result, you will often find this shrub in disturbed sites, such as along railroad tracks and burned areas.
 Twig
 This shrub’s common name is derived from the general resemblance of the bare twig clusters to deer antlers. The twigs of staghorn sumac are densely hairy, giving it a velvety appearance.
 Other
 The species is known for the hairy clusters of red fruits produced on female plants. These are persistent, making it possible to distinguish female plants from male plants in the winter landscape. The fruits of both poison ivy and poison sumac are white in contrast to the distinctive red fruits of staghorn sumac.

Staghorn sumac belongs to the Anacardiaceae family which includes edibles such as cashews, mangoes and pistachios. This family also includes noxious relatives poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix).  The latter also has compound leaves with a large number of leaflets (up to 13).

 It reaches maturity after only a few years. Combined with the ability to produce clones asexually, staghorn sumac has the potential to become a nuisance plant.
  • Apply Now

    Application forms, procedures and additional information

  • Schedule A Visit

    There are many ways to experience
    St. Bonaventure for yourself

  • Request Info

    Learn more about the programs that interest you

Go back to home page
  • Franciscan Institute
  • Quick Center for the Arts
  • Library
  • Jobs
  • Course Schedules
  • Title IX
  • Sitemap
  • SBU Online
St. Bonaventure University 3261 West State Road, St. Bonaventure, NY 14778
(716) 375-2000 | (800) 462-5050 | Office Directory
sbuinfo@sbu.edu       Privacy Policy
 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Flickr
  • Blog
  • LinkedIn
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Snapchat
Current Students/Faculty/Staff Log in to my.sbu.edu
x