are rhus trees poisonous

Rhus tree (Toxicodendron

succedaneum) Print | Search/browse other weeds Rhus is a deciduous shrub or small tree with bright red leaves in autumn. All parts of the plant are toxic and can cause severe dermatitis.

Full Answer

Is Rhus a poison ivy?

Rhus is probably most familiar to gardeners in the form of the sumacs, R. typhina and its allies, while in the woods of North America the poison-ivies can add an element of hazard to the most innocuous walk, and render the genus notorious.

Are all sumac trees poisonous?

While poisonous sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) has a well-established reputation as one of several plants that cause skin irritation, there are many other types of sumac trees (Rhus spp.) that are completely harmless. Sumac trees are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 3 to 9 and are well-suited for locations where conditions are dry.

What is a Rhus tree?

Rhus species are small to medium-sized, deciduous or evergreen trees, shrubs or climbers, with sap that may be poisonous ( Toxicodendron) or not ( Rhus ). The branches are either numerous and slender, or of limited number, in which case they are thick, often pubescent and reminiscent of deer antlers. Winter buds are naked.

What are the dangers of Rhus?

Dangers of Rhus. Only 1.5% of the population will not develop an allergy to the rhus plant if they have contact with it over an extended period. Reactions vary from a rash to severe swellings of the limbs and face, sometimes producing temporary blindness.

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What is Rhus poisoning?

Symptoms: Severe painful allergic reactions can occur between 12 hours and 7 days after contact. These reactions include severe dermatitis that begins with a rash, redness, itching and blisters where skin has made contact with the tree. Localised swelling of the face, arms and legs is often associated with the rash.

How do you grow Rhus?

Planting and Growing Rhus Plant in an open sunny site in any well-drained ordinary garden soil. Plant between autumn and spring. Makes a good specimen shrub/tree in a small garden. However, beware of suckers, which can be a common annoyance and allow the plant to spread beyond its allotted bounds.

Does poison sumac grow in New England?

Poison sumac, Toxicodendron vernix, synonym Rhus vernix, is found in New England but not often noted. This shrub/small tree likes habitat areas with wet soil including swamps and bogs. However, the habitat doesn't have to be up-to-your-knees wet. It will grow in woods along flowing water as long as the soil is wet.

How do you propagate Rhus Typhina?

To do this, you just need to dig up a thick, fleshy root and place it in a moist, well-drained growing medium. With time, it will grow into a new plant. Cuttings of the sumac tree are a gentle method of propagation.

Is Rhus poisonous to dogs?

Rhus typhina has no toxic effects reported.

What is the common name for Rhus?

Rhus spp. are commonly known as sumac and grow in temperate and subtropical regions throughout the world.

Is sumac worse than poison ivy?

Poison sumac is considered more allergenic than both poison ivy and poison oak. These are other well-known plants that are also in the Toxicodendron genus of the sumac family.

What is the difference between sumac and poison sumac?

Poison sumac has clusters of white or light-green berries that sag downward on its branches, while the red berries of harmless sumac sit upright. Also, each stem on the poison sumac plant has a cluster of leaflets with smooth edges, while harmless sumac leaves have jagged edges.

Is sumac poisonous to touch?

Although toxic to the touch for humans, poison sumac berries are not toxic to birds. 2 Many birds, including quail, treat the berries as a food source in winter.

When should Rhus trees be pruned?

The staghorn sumac (Rhus Typhina) should be pruned as little as possible. As this tree is famous for its outlandish growing habit, a slight correction of the crown may be desirable. This modest trimming can be done in June. If you want to prune more drastically, it is better to wait until late autumn or winter.

Do sumac trees have deep roots?

While the roots are relatively shallow and may only reach about 10 inches underground, many sumac species tend to spread rapidly. Sumac aggressively reproduces through seeds and grows in dense thickets, cutting off other plants' access to vital nutrients.

When can you cut down sumac trees?

Gardeners should prune these trees in late winter or early spring, while the sumac tree remains dormant. Most trees get pruned at this time, except those that have showy spring flowers grown on old growth, where pruning would reduce the flower display.

Can you grow sumac from a cutting?

Treated seed and root cuttings are used for increase. From this article from the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Extension Propagating Deciduous and Evergreen Shrubs, Trees and Vines with Stem Cuttings, we learned that all species of rhus (sumac) are best propagated by softwood cuttings in the summer.

How do you prune Rhus?

If you are concerned at containing your rhus in its place you can prune it back hard each year to around 1-2ft from ground level. This may reduce its flowering potential. Suckers can be dug up and removed or destroyed as necessary.

How do I start sumac?

Seeds: You can start a Sumac from seed, but it is not just planting it in the ground. You have to either cut the hard shell without damaging the seed inside, or bring a pot of water to a boil, turn off, toss the seeds in, and leave until the water cools.

When should Rhus trees be pruned?

The staghorn sumac (Rhus Typhina) should be pruned as little as possible. As this tree is famous for its outlandish growing habit, a slight correction of the crown may be desirable. This modest trimming can be done in June. If you want to prune more drastically, it is better to wait until late autumn or winter.

What is a rhus tree?

Taken as a whole, however, Rhus provides many useful ornamental trees with bold pinnate leaves, some of which – such as R. chinensis and R. verniciflua – are reasonably well known in cultivation, though others – like R. wallichii, described below – are not. The name Rhus javanica regularly appears in horticulture, but the taxonomy associated with it is extremely confusing. The name was first published by Linnaeus, but his species has since been transferred into the genus Brucea J. Mill. (Simaroubaceae). The same name was also published by Thunberg for a species of Rhus that has now been placed in synonymy with R. chinensis Mill. (Chandra & Mukherjee 2000). The name ‘ Rhus japonica ’ was never validly published, but appears on some cultivated plants introduced into the United Kingdom that seem also to be referable to R. chinensis. The larger, tree-forming species should be given sites in good soil with plenty of sun, and will do best in areas with hot summers.

How many species are there in the Rhus genus?

(Smoke-bush), to the less frequently adopted Toxicodendron Mill. (Poison-ivy). If accepted, these would reduce the number of species from about 200 (by which count Rhus is the largest genus in the Anacardiaceae) to just 35. However, allocation of species of Rhus into the segregate genera is confused. For example, R. lancea has been placed in both Toxicodendron and Searsia F.A. Barkley. In addition, because many new combinations have not yet been made, many Rhus species do not have valid names in the new, segregate genera (Barkley 1937, 1961, Brizicky 1963, Barkley 1965, Miller et al. 2001). Considering, then, the uncertainty as to the generic limits of Rhus, the following account utilises a broad concept of the genus.

What are the different types of rhus?

Many species of Rhus are shrubby, including a large number of trifoliolate species in Africa, of which R. lance a is one of the largest. Several South African species are in cultivation and commercially available in the United Kingdom, though it is not known how well established they are. These include: R. glauca Thunb., a shrub up to 8 m, whose leaves start out a very glossy green, although the ‘varnish’ causing this dries out to a greyish powdery layer; R. incisa L. f., which is smaller, with pinnatifid leaflets that are white-woolly below; R. krebsiana C. Presl ex Engl., a shrub from the Drakensberg with unexceptional leaves; R. leptodictya Diels, which can reach 8 m, with elongated leaflets that have toothed margins (largely coming from the Highveld, it can withstand considerable frost: Coates Palgrave 1990); and R. magalismontana Sond., with broad leaflets (another shrub from the old Transvaal). All produce small yellowish green flowers in (usually) short panicles.

What color are the flowers of sumach?

Individually the flowers of the sumachs are small and of little beauty, being greenish , yellowish , or dull white, but in a few species the panicles are sufficiently large and the flowers white enough to give a pleasing effect.

Where do sumach trees grow?

About a dozen species are grown in the open air in the British Isles, but several others (such as R. succedanea) can be cultivated in Corn­wall and similar places. Individually the flowers of the sumachs are small and of little beauty, being greenish, yellowish, or dull white, but in a few species the panicles are sufficiently large and the flowers white enough to give a pleasing effect. In some species the fruits are handsome, but, on the whole, their value in gardens is in the size and autumn colouring of the foliage. The leading characters of the genus are the alternate leaves and usually dioecious flowers, the five-lobed calyx (which adheres to the fruit), the five petals, the one-celled ovary with three styles, and the usually globose fruit, either glabrous or hairy, containing one bony seed.

Do sumach trees need soil?

The cultivation of all the sumachs is simple. They do not require a very rich soil except when they are grown purely for size of foliage as R. tjphina (q.v.) and R. glabra sometimes are. Where autumn colour is desired, ordinary garden soil without added manure is sufficient. Like many other trees with soft wood and a large pith, they are subject to the attacks of the ‘coral-spot’ fungus ( Nectria cinnabarina ). Branches so attacked should be cleanly cut off and burnt, the wound coated with tar. Most can be propagated by root-cuttings, and seed is often available.

Is R. vernix poisonous?

The juice of several species, notably R. radicans and R. vernix, is exceedingly acrid and poisonous to many people, but care should be taken in pruning or making cuttings of any of the species. R. vertticiflua yields the famous lacquer of Japan. The leaves of several species have also an economic value either for dyeing or tanning, and the fruits of some, such as R. succedanea and R. verniciflua, give a wax used for candle-making.

How to tell if sumac is poisonous?

One easy way to differentiate between poisonous sumac and other nontoxic species is by looking at the berries. The berries of poisonous sumac are grayish in color and hang down from the plant. The berries of harmless sumac trees, on the other hand, are red and upright.

How to identify non poisonous sumac?

Identifying non-poisonous sumac plants is simple if you’re aware of a few key features that differentiate them from poison sumac. For example, non-poisonous sumac has green leaf stems while poison sumac’s leaf stems are bright red. In non-poisonous sumacs, the drupes, or fruits, have hairs and are red to crimson.

Why are sumac plants not invasive?

Many of them believe sumac plants (Rhus spp.) are invasive, but most species are not. Also, some people believe all sumac species cause a skin rash as an allergic reaction. They may have that belief because poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) ...

How tall is a sumac tree?

The largest sumac tree native to North America is the staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina, zones 3-8), which has heights between 15 and 25 feet, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. The common name of this species is inspired by the reddish fibers that cover its branchlets, which are reminiscent of the velvet on the horns of a male deer, or stag.

What is poison sumac?

Poison Sumac. Poison sumac is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3b through 8b. It contains urushiol, which is a plant oil that causes a severe skin rash that may involve swelling, redness and watery blisters as well as mild to severe itching and burning. The rash can result from directly touching ...

Can sumac trees grow in soil?

Sumac plants of both the poisonous and non-poisonous varieties will grow in almost any soil as long as it is well-drained. They are multitrunked large shrubs or small trees and spread by suckers, creating thickets. The lance-shaped leaves of sumac species are up to 2 feet long and consist of numerous pairs of leaflets.

Do sumac trees need full sun?

Sumac trees are not picky when it comes to soil. However, good drainage is a must since waterlogged soils can easily lead to root rot, notes Better Homes & Gardens. Sumac trees can grow in full sun to part shade, which equates to four to six hours of sunlight a day. Full sun is preferable, as it will result in better leaf color.

What animals eat sumac berries?

Deer, small mammals and numerous species of birds consume sumac berries from both smooth and fragrant sumac.

How tall does a sumac tree get?

Smooth sumac, Rhus glabra, is the only shrub or tree that is native to all of the 48 contiguous states. It is a woody shrub that grows three to six feet tall in the Rocky Mountains, but 10 to 20 feet tall elsewhere. The genus Rhus contains about 35 species that are native to North America, but only one other species is native to Colorado—fragrant sumac, Rhus trilobata. Both glabra and trilobata have rhizomes that send up young stems and this form of asexual reproduction produces clones of sumac.

How many lobes does a sumac leaf have?

Smooth and fragrant sumac are easy to distinguish. A trilobata leaf develops as three completely separated lobes, while a glabra leaf is compound, one to two feet long, with 11 to 31 pointed leaflets per leaf—these remind me of the leaves of ferns. The upper branches of smooth sumac are short and crooked.

How many berries does a drupe have?

A drupe consists of 100 to 700 flowers and a fertilized female flower develops into a berry with a single seed—so only females produce berries. Approximately 250 species of sumac are known, from all of the continents, and they follow one simple, very handy generalization. Species with red berries, including smooth and fragrant sumac, ...

Where is the rhizome of sumac native to?

The genus Rhus contains about 35 species that are native to North America, but only one other species is native to Colorado—fragrant sumac, Rhus trilobata. Both glabra and trilobata have rhizomes that send up young stems and this form of asexual reproduction produces clones of sumac.

How to identify a sumac tree?

Identify sumac trees by looking at the leaves, flowers, and berries. Sumacs have large, characteristic fern-like leaves made up of 3 to 31 leaflets. Another identifying feature of sumacs is their cone-shaped white or green flower panicles, 24” (60 cm) long that mature into clusters of red fuzzy berries.

What is the name of the evergreen tree with pointed, olive green leaves?

The African sumac is a medium-sized shrub-like evergreen tree with unusual strap-like pointed, olive-green leaves, aromatic yellow flower clusters, and brown berries. The identifying feature of the African sumac is the clusters of three long leaves that are 4” (10 cm) long. These arching leaves give the sumac a weeping look due to its oval, broad, spreading canopy.

How big do staghorn sumac trees get?

Staghorn sumacs grow between 15 and 25 ft. (4.5 – 7.6 m) tall and up to 30 ft. (9 m) wide. The small tree has an open, spreading crown.

What color are the leaves of a fragrant sumac tree?

Fragrant sumac leaves grow up to 3” (7.5 cm) long. In the fall, fragrant sumac leaves turn shades of orange, red, or reddish-purple. Fragrant sumac fruit and leaves. Sumac berries: Fragrant sumac berries are small and red with a hairy appearance.

How long are the leaves of a sumac tree?

Sumac leaves grow between 16” and 24” (40 – 60 cm) long. Although most sumac species leaves are pinnate leaves, some species of sumacs have broad leaves with shallow lobing. For example, leaves on the fragrant sumac ( Rhus aromatica) have a broadly ovate shape and only have three leaflets per compound leaf.

What is a sumac tree?

Sumac (genus Rhus) is a group of flowering small trees and shrubs. Sumacs are identified by their fern-like pinnate leaves, conical clusters (panicles) of white or green flowers, and fuzzy red berries. In the fall, sumac trees and shrubs turn brilliant autumn shades of red, orange, or purple. Trees and shrubs in the genus Rhus grow between 3 ...

How fast does a sumac tree grow?

Hardy sumac trees, like the staghorn sumac, have a fast growth rate—growing as much as 24” (60 cm) a year.

How to tell poison sumac from staghorn sumac?

So learning the differences between their leaves and twigs is even more helpful. Both poison sumac and staghorn sumac have compound leaves, made up of individual leaflets. Happily, their leaves differ in a few ways, so you should have no trouble telling them apart. Even in winter (when there are no leaves), you can tell the two apart by inspecting their twigs:

How many leaflets does a poison sumac have?

A staghorn sumac leaf will have at least 13 leaflets on it (usually more); a poison sumac leaf will have at most around 13 leaflets (usually fewer).

What color are staghorn sumac berries?

The shape of the berries is flattish. They mature to an off-white color in the fall. But the berries of staghorn sumac are red. They are packed tightly together in soft, cone-shaped tufts that grow upright.

What family is poison sumac in?

Family Ties Between Poison Sumac and Staghorn Sumac. Poison sumac and staghorn sumac belong to the same family: Anacardiaceae. This botanical group is also called the "cashew" family, and cashew trees ( Anacardium occidentale) are part of it. Mango trees ( Mangifera spp .) belong to the same family as well.

Is sumac a plant?

Poison sumac and staghorn sumac belong to the same family: Anacardiaceae. This botanical group is also called the "cashew" family, and cashew trees ( Anacardium occidentale) are part of it. If it surprises you that rash-causing poison sumac has family ties with a plant that bears edible nuts, be prepared to be surprised again: Mango trees ( Mangifera spp .) belong to the same family. Another beneficial plant in the family is the smoke bush ( Cotinus coggygria ), a popular ornamental landscape plant.

Is poison sumac poisonous?

The very genus name of poison sumac indicates its toxic nature. Poison sumac is actually more closely related to two other poisonous plants than it is to staghorn sumac: Poison ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans) Poison oak ( Toxicodendron diversilobum)

Is staghorn sumac a botanist?

Whereas poison sumac is known to botanists as Toxicodendron vernix, staghorn sumac is classified as Rhus typhina.

How big does a sumac tree get?

Sumac can be a small tree or a shrub in shape, and likes to grow on dry slopes. It can grow anywhere from four to 35 feet in size. The leaves are notched and grow in slightly taggered pairs until the end, where one leaf will be perpendicular to the rest.

How to harvest sumac?

To harvest sumac, locate the desirable clusters that are the brightest color on the tree or bush. Touch the fruit to check for a slightly sticky feel. You can even lick your fingers to see if it has the tart taste. Clip at the base of the cluster early in the season with some sort of pruning shears.

Can you be allergic to sumac?

Also, people can be allergic to sumac, just like everything else. You need to be aware of this when you eat sumac for the first time. Poison Ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are all related to the edible kind of sumac, but all look different. Know what you are looking for, before foraging.

Is staghorn sumac poisonous?

Sumac is a fairly common plant, and you were probably taught for years that it is poisonous and should be avoided. Now, however, we are getting back to discovering the truth behind this plant. Yes, some varieties are poisonous, but many are not, and it’s not difficult to distinguish them.