Aid for What Ails You

Paul Hetzler, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County

One of the most vibrant fall leaf colors hails from a humble source. While many people consider it a weed—and some even think it dangerous—the common staghorn sumac treats us to its bright red-orange leaves this time of year. Its reputation as a nuisance is well-founded, as it can spread by means of its root system into fields and pastures, but sumac is not a hazard.

When I was a kid, Dad showed me poison ivy and also warned against poison sumac (for some reason, poison oak didn’t make the cut). Just as “Marco” always went with “Polo,” “poison” was followed by either “ivy” or “sumac,” at least in my mind. From leading nature walks, I know that many folks also grew up equating sumac with poison. Staghorn sumac is not only safe to touch, it tastes great.

Mind you, poison sumac exists. It’s just that very few people ever see it. If you do, as I have, you’ll be ankle-deep (at least) in water. Poison sumac almost always grows in swamps, and other than the fact that it has compound leaves and is a shrub, it bears little resemblance to the sumac we see every day.

Poison sumac has loose bunches of berries that turn white(ish) when mature, and they droop down. “Good” sumac, on the other hand, has tight clusters of red berries proudly held up like Lady Liberty’s torch. Poison sumac has shiny leaves, smooth twigs, and its leaves turn yellow in the fall. In contrast, staghorn sumac has fuzzy twigs and non-glossy leaves, which turn brilliant red in autumn.

There are several species of “good” sumac, and all have the same red berries held aloft. The stuff that makes apples tangy is malic acid, and sumac berries are loaded with this tasty water-soluble flavoring. To make “sumac-ade” all you need is a plastic bucket full of sumac berry bunches (don’t pick them individually), which you then fill with cold water. Agitate the berries a few minutes and strain through a clean cloth. This leaves you with a very sour pink beverage, which you can sweeten to taste.

Because malic acid is water-soluble, sumac berries lose some (but by no means all) of their flavor by springtime. The next time sumac’s bright fall “flag” catches your eye, consider stopping to collect some berries to make a refreshing drink. And the sooner the better.