When a friend from Jordan asked me why we weren’t growing sumac, considering how excellent of a spice it makes, I had no good reason. After learning that it’s hardy to zone 2 and fairly easy to grow, we acquiesced and started growing it. The colony-forming smooth sumac is a 10-20 ft. shrub with short, crooked, leaning trunks and picturesque branches. Deciduous leaves become extremely colorful in early fall and the female plants produce yellow-green flowers followed by bright-red, hairy berries that have excellent culinary value.

Lots of uses. The fruit of sumac can be used as a spice rub for venison, beef, chicken, etc. and can be soaked and washed in cold water, strained, sweetened and made into a pink "lemonade" sometimes called "Indian lemonade". The drink extract can also be used to make jelly. The shoots can be peeled and eaten raw. The leaves and berries of staghorn sumac have been mixed with tobacco and other herbs and smoked by Native American tribes. This practice continues to a small degree to this day. Some beekeepers use dried sumac bobs as a source of fuel for their smokers. Hardy to zone 2.

Plants are 2-3 ft. tall