Other Common Names:
Sumac.
The Staghorn Sumac, a small tree or upright shrub, is found in this province mainly east of Charlottetown. Ordinarily it is 10 to 15 feet high with a short, more or less crooked and inclined trunk. The branches are irregular in form and divide into a comparatively small number of stout curved twigs which suggest the horns of a stag -hence the name.
The beautiful scarlet, fern-like foliage in the autumn and persistent, bright red cone-shaped fruit clusters are the two main distinguishing characteristics.
It will not grow in the shade of other trees and is usually found on dry rocky or sandy soils, along fences, roadsides and in old pastures. It is seldom found with other trees. The wood is used for decorative finishing and in making wooden novelties. The tree is also planted as an ornamental.
DESCRIPTION
LEAVES: Alternate, compound, 16 to 24 inches long, composed of 11 to 31 leaflets borne in pairs on a stout, hairy stem. Leaflets lance-shaped, sharp-pointed, sparse-toothed, 2 to 5 inches long; dull dark green above, paler below.
FLOWERS: June-July, after the leaves, unisexual, in dense yellowish-green clusters; the male and female on separate trees.
FRUIT: Autumn; rounded, thin fleshed, berry-like, about 1/8 of an inch in diameter, densely coated with brings red hair; borne in large cone-shaped clusters; persisting on tree over winter.
TWIGS: Very stout, densely covered with brownish to almost black hair, and yielding a milky juice when broken. No terminal bud; lateral buds small, covered with brown hair.
BARK: Thin, dark brown smooth on young stems; smooth or scaly on old trunks.
WOOD: Light, soft, brittle, coarse-grained, ring -porous, orange-colored streaked with broad green rays.
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