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Rhus typhina - L.

Stag's Horn Sumach

Author	L.	Botanical references	11, 43, 200
Family	Anacardiaceae	Genus	Rhus
Synonyms	Rhus hirta - non Engl. Rhus viridiflora - Duham.
Known Hazards	There are some suggestions that the sap of this species can cause a skin rash in susceptible people, but this has not been substantiated. See also notes in 'Cultivation Details'.
Range	Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to the southern Appalachian mountains and west to Iowa.
Habitat	Usually found in upland sites on rich soils, but it is also found in gravel and sandy nutrient-poor soils. It grows by streams and swamps, along roadsides, railway embankments and edges of woods[229].
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 6m by 6m at a fast rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Secondary; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Hedge;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit.

Edible Uses: Drink.

Fruit - cooked[22, 62]. A very sour flavour, they are used in pies[183]. The fruit is rather small and with very little flesh, but it is produced in quite large clusters and so is easily harvested. When soaked for 10 - 30 minutes in hot or cold water it makes a very refreshing lemonade-like drink (without any fizz of course)[55, 85, 95. 101, 102, 183]. The mixture should not be boiled since this will release tannic acids and make the drink astringent.

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Antihaemorrhoidal; Antiseptic; Astringent; Blood purifier; Diuretic; Emetic; Galactogogue; Poultice; Stomachic; Tonic; VD; Warts.

Stag's horn sumach was often employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes who valued it especially for its astringent qualities[257]. It is little used in modern herbalism. Some caution is advised in the use of the leaves and stems of this plant, see the notes above on toxicity. The bark is antiseptic, astringent, galactogogue and tonic[222, 257]. An infusion is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, fevers, piles, general debility, uterine prolapse etc[213, 222]. An infusion is also said to greatly increase the milk flow of a nursing mother - small pieces of the wood were also eaten for this purpose[257]. The inner bark is said to be a valuable remedy for piles[257]. The roots are astringent, blood purifier, diuretic and emetic[222]. An infusion of the roots, combined with purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) has been used in the treatment of venereal disease[257]. A poultice of the roots has been used to treat boils[257]. The leaves are astringent. They have been used in the treatment of asthma, diarrhoea and stomatosis[222]. An infusion of the fruits has been used as a tonic to improve the appetite and as a treatment for diarrhoea[257]. The berries are astringent and blood purifier[257]. They were chewed as a remedy for bed-wetting[222, 257]. A tea made from the berries has been used to treat sore throats[213]. The flowers are astringent and stomachic. An infusion has been used to treat stomach pains[257]. The sap has been applied externally as a treatment of warts[226]. Some caution is advised here since the sap can cause a rash on many people[K].

Other Uses

Dye; Hedge; Ink; Mordant; Musical; Oil; Pipes; Shelterbelt; Soil stabilization; Tannin; Wood.

The leaves are rich in tannin, up to 48% has been obtained in a controlled plantation[223]. They can be collected as they fall in the autumn and used as a brown dye or as a mordant[169, 171]. The bark, especially the root bark, and the fruits are also very rich in tannin[82, 159, 169]. A yellow dye can be obtained from the roots[257]. An orange dye can be obtained from the inner bark and central pith of the stem, mixed with bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)[257]. A black ink can be made by boiling the leaves and the fruit[226]. An oil is extracted from the seeds[4]. It attains a tallow-like consistency on standing and is used to make candles. These burn brilliantly, though they emit a pungent smoke[4]. Pipes are made from the young shoots and are used for drawing the sap of sugar maples (Acer spp)[82]. They are also used as flutes[159]. The plant has an extensive root system and is planted as a windbreak screen and to prevent soil erosion[200]. Wood - soft, light, brittle, coarse grained[82, 101]. It weighs 27lb per cubic foot[235]. Of no commercial value, though it is sometimes used as a rough construction wood or is employed in turning[226].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in a well-drained fertile soil in full sun[11, 200]. Tolerates poor soils[169, 200]. Succeeds in dry soils and is drought resistant once it is established[169]. A fairly wind hardy plant, though the branches are brittle and can be broken off in very high winds[200, K]. A very hardy plant, when fully dormant it can tolerate temperatures down to at least -25°c[200]. However, the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. A fast growing but short-lived tree[159], it can sucker freely, forming thickets and becoming quite anti-social when grown in small areas[11]. Single-stem plants are short-lived in cultivation, but if the plants are coppiced regularly and allowed to form thickets, then they will live longer and also be more ornamental with larger leaves[238]. Any coppicing is best carried out in early spring[238]. A very ornamental plant, there are some named varieties[182]. It is susceptible to coral spot fungus[11] but is notably resistant to honey fungus[88, 200]. It transplants easily[169]. This is a very good bee plant, the flowers producing an abundance of pollen and nectar[226]. There is some doubt over the validity of this name and the earlier R. hirta. [L.] has been proposed as the correct name. However, it seems likely that R. typhina will be retained because it is so well known[214]. This species is closely related to and hybridizes with R. glabra[101]. Many of the species in this genus are highly toxic and can also cause severe irritation to the skin of some people, whilst other species such as this one are not poisonous. It is relatively simple to distinguish which is which, the poisonous species have axillary panicles and smooth fruits whilst non-poisonous species have compound terminal panicles and fruits covered with acid crimson hairs[1, 4]. The toxic species are sometimes separated into their own genus, Toxicodendron, by some botanists[200]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in hot water (starting at a temperature of 80 - 90c and allowing it to cool) prior to sowing in order to leach out any germination inhibitors[200]. This soak water can be drunk and has a delicious lemon-flavour. The stored seed also needs hot water treatment and can be sown in early spring in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[200]. Root cuttings 4cm long taken in December and potted up vertically in a greenhouse. Good percentage[78, 200]. Suckers in late autumn to winter[200].

Cultivars

No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Edible Shrubs.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[22] Sholto-Douglas. J. Alternative Foods. 0
Not very comprehensive, it seems more or less like a copy of earlier writings with little added.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[55] Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973
Interesting reading.

[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.

[88] RHS. The Garden. Volume 112. Royal Horticultural Society 1987
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.

[101] Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences 1978
A very readable guide to some wild foods of Canada.

[102] Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979 ISBN 0-394-72811-4
Another guide to the wild foods of America.

[159] McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977 ISBN 0-253-28925-4
A nice pocket guide to this region of America.

[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden. 0
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.

[214] Matthews. V. The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. Royal Horticultural Society 1994 ISBN 1352-4186
A quarterly magazine, it has articles on Himalayacalamus hookerianus, hardy Euphorbias and an excellent article on Hippophae spp.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[223] Rottsieper. E.H.W. Vegetable Tannins The Forestal Land, Timber and Railways Co. Ltd. 1946
A fairly detailed treatise on the major sources of vegetable tannins.

[226] Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989 ISBN 0889025649
Very good on identification for non-experts, the book also has a lot of information on plant uses.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Rhus typhina

Chris Thu May 1 21:57:01 2003

be careful and make sure not to confuse this with poison sumac, which, if injested, may kill you

Rhus typhina

Val Boothman Sun Oct 7 2007

Extremely interesting but I am trying to find out how to treat a slightly damaged bark. Do you know what I should apply and should I bandage it. I need to act before winter frost. Val Boothman

Rhus typhina

Ethan Descoteau Sat Mar 22 2008

i may have missed it, but i don't think you mentioned it's use as a smoking herb. the taste and aroma is rich, mellow, and full. natives smoked the red leaves (they turn in fall)...the redder the mellower, the greener the tangier the smoke. i do not often smoke for pleasure, but i must say semi dried leaves are truly a delight to puff on. ...and yes, don't confuse with poison sumac... the (major) difference is poison sumac has white berries, not red. poison sumac contains the same allergen that poison ivy and poison oaks do.

Rhus typhina

phil Thu Jul 31 2008

i have Rhus typhina (stags horn) and the leafs have wilted and died the tree is still sending out suckers, is the tree dying?

Rhus typhina

P.MASTERS Tue Aug 5 2008

HOW THE HELL DO YOU STOP IT SPREADING AS IT IS COMING UP ALL OVER THE LAWN

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