Rhus typhina: staghorn sumac [hairy s., northern s.]

Family: Anacardiaceae [cashew, pistacio]; part of sapindoid group.

Form: small tree with pinnate leaves; forms compact colonies with dividing rhizomes; stems up to 20-30 feet tall; mostly male or female.

Range: northeastern North America (except boreal-arctic regions), plus outliers to south and west; in Kentucky, mostly northern regions.

Habitat: woodland edges, thickets and old fields; soils fairly dry to fairly moist but not extreme, generally rather rich.

Consumers: small sour (citric) berries usually prolific in dense clusters, gradually eaten by birds in fall-winter, but often infested with pests; shoots and leaves palatable to some browsers; vigorous plants usually lack serious damage from pests or diseases.

Growing notes: seed germination varies, promoted after one or two winters, acid-treatment or heat; plants may be carefully dug and divided.