Thursday, September 1, 2011

Phenology: Staghorn Sumac

These dark red flowers, which appeared in August this year, look very showy and autumn-like. They continue to look showy as they develop into edible berries. They can be made into pink lemonade. Wikipedia mentions that some people burn the dead plant material for aromatic smoke, but why waste it? The woody stems are soft enough to be easily hollowed, yet firm enough, and just the right size, to make perfect spiles for harvesting maple sap.

Nice, clear picture and brief article here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhus_typhina

Wikipedia's map looks as if the Staghorn Sumac wouldn't grow in Scott County, Virginia, but it does.

(Postscript: Sumac keeps its plumes for a long time. They were as bright at the end of October, when I cross-posted this article to Blogspot, as they were in early September when I first posted it on Weebly.)

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