Poison sumac
Sumac
Sumac, also spelled sumach and sumaq, is any one of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. Sumac grows in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, especially in East Asia, Africa, and North America.
What does poison sumac look like in Pennsylvania?
It often has purple blotches on the stems. More: Deadly poison hemlock 'spreading rampantly' in central Pa. Mostly found in wet, wooded areas, poison sumac has elongated oval leaves. Each stem has 7-13 leaves. Poison sumac also changes colors throughout the seasons, looking orange in the spring, green in the summer and reddish in the fall.
Does poison sumac grow in the wetlands?
While poison sumac likes to grow in wetlands, most other sumacs prefer drier areas with well-drained soils. Poison ivy and poison oak are two other commonly known poisonous plants that can cause a rash, but they look different from poison sumac.
What kind of sumac trees grow in Pennsylvania?
In southwestern Pennsylvania we have three common sumac species that bear pointed red fruit clusters: Staghorn sumac ( Rhus typhina ), at top, has fuzzy fruit and stems and is named “staghorn” because the fuzzy fruit spike resembles a stag’s horn in velvet.
How many leaves does a poison sumac plant have?
On poison sumac plants, each stem has 2 parallel rows of leaves growing along its length. Each stem usually has between 6 and 12 leaves, plus an additional single leaf at the end. Young stems are typically red or red-brown, but this color may fade to brown or grey as the plant ages. [2]
Is poison sumac common in Pennsylvania?
Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) is also native to Pennsylvania, but it is less common and only found in swamps and other persistently wet habitats.
What states have poison sumac?
Poison sumac It is found in wooded, swampy areas, such as Florida and parts of other southeastern states. It is also found in wet, wooded areas in the northern United States.
Do we have poison oak in PA?
Poison ivy and some other rash-causing plants are in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae) – which also includes poison oak (not found in Pennsylvania, but in western USA), staghorn sumac (not rash causing), poison sumac (rash causing, but you likely won't come across it unless in very wet habitats)….
Are there any poisonous plants in Pennsylvania?
A feathery-leafed plant that's spreading across Pennsylvania isn't a wildflower but a poisonous weed that can kill. Poison hemlock is a common plant found throughout central Pennsylvania and beyond. It tends to grow along roadsides, railroad tracks, streambanks, and in meadows.
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 does sumac rash look like?
The poison sumac rash looks like streaky patches of red blisters. The rash itself is not contagious but, if the urushiol oil is still on your clothes, dog or backpack, it can still give you a rash. Once you get the rash, you can have it for up to three weeks.
Is sumac native to Pennsylvania?
STAGHORN SUMAC: (Rhus typhina). This species of North American native tree belongs to the Family Anacardiaceae. It is found in southeastern Canada, northeastern and Midwestern United States and further south in the Appalachian Mountains.
What trees are poisonous in Pennsylvania?
Poison ivy, poison sumac and more: Identifying Pa. plants that can hurt you or your petsPoison ivy. ... Poison hemlock. ... Poison sumac. ... Poison oak. ... Jimsonweed.
How can you tell 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 poison ivy a sumac?
Poison ivy is a common poisonous plant that causes an itchy skin rash. Other rash-inducing poisonous plants include poison oak and poison sumac.
What happens if you find poison hemlock in PA?
According to experts, you can easily dig out poison hemlock with a shovel or pull it out with a pair of gloves. If there is a lot of it, use of a herbicide is recommended. Poison hemlock, an invasive and dangerous plant, is blooming in the western Pennsylvania area. The plant is poisonous to both people and animals.
What does poison sumac leaves look like?
The green leaves are shaped like pointy, tapered ovals and may have peachlike fuzz on the underside. The stems of the leaf are reddish, but the bark of the rest of the plant is greyish. Poison sumac has berry-like fruits that grow in loose clusters. They are white and each is 4-5 millimeters across.
How common is poison sumac?
This is the most common allergic reaction in the U.S., and affects as many as 50 million Americans each year. Poison Ivy, sumac and oak grow everywhere in the United States except Hawaii, Alaska and some deserts in Nevada.
Where does poison oak grow in the US?
Where Does Poison Oak Grow? Poison oak grows along the west coast and in the southeast and is rarely found in the Midwest. The southeastern variety (Atlantic poison oak) looks very similar to poison ivy. Poison oak often grows in wooded areas, grasslands, and coastal scrub areas.
Is poison sumac in Florida?
In Florida, poison sumac has been confirmed in the north and central regions, as far south as Polk County. Figure 10. Poison sumac leaflets, reddish stems, and immature green fruit. Poison sumac leaves consist of 7–13 leaflets arranged in pairs with a single leaflet at the end of the midrib.
How can you tell 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.
What does the poison sumac rash look like?
It starts out most often as a mild itching that slowly turns into a red rash. Shortly after this, bumps will start to form at the rash spots that c...
Where is poison sumac?
It is most commonly found in wooded swampy areas. In the United States, that is in Florida and the southeastern states.
What does poison oak rash look like?
It is similar to rashes the other poisons produce; it's a red rash with mild itching followed by bumps and mild blisters.
What are the leaves of poison sumac?
Pick out the oblong shape of the poison sumac’s leaves. The leaves of this plant have an oval or oblong shape, tapering to a wedge or point on each end. The sides of the leaf may appear wavy or smooth, but will not have the jagged "tooth" appearance of some non-poisonous sumac trees.
How many leaves does a poison sumac plant have?
On poison sumac plants, each stem has 2 parallel rows of leaves growing along its length. Each stem usually has between 6 and 12 leaves, plus an additional single leaf at the end. Young stems are typically red or red-brown, but this color may fade to brown or grey as the plant ages.
How tall does poison sumac grow?
1. Look for a 5 to 20 ft (1.5 to 6.1 m) shrub or tree. Poison sumac typically grows into a shrub or tree about 5–20 ft (1.5–6 m) in height, but may occasionally grow even taller. While some poison tree varieties look more like shrubs, poison sumac looks fairly sparse. [1]
When do poison sumac flowers bloom?
Look for pale yellow or green flowers in the spring or summer. During the spring and summer , poison sumac may have pale yellow or green flowers. These small flowers grow in clusters along their own, green stems, separate from the red leafy stems.
Do sumac trees have a jagged tooth?
The sides of the leaf may appear wavy or smooth, but will not have the jagged "tooth" appearance of some non-poisonous sumac trees.
Can poison ivy cause a rash?
It’s a plant that’s native to the eastern United States and Canada, and it can cause a red, itchy rash and blisters, similar to a poison ivy rash. The best way to avoid an allergic reaction to this plant is to identify the characteristics and stay far away from it, if you can.
How many sumacs are there in the Rhus?
Three real Rhus sumacs and two imposters.
Why is sumac called staghorn?
Staghorn sumac ( Rhus typhina ), at top, has fuzzy fruit and stems and is named “staghorn” because the fuzzy fruit spike resembles a stag’s horn in velvet. Smooth sumac ( Rhus glabra ), above, is smooth just like its name.
Is Sumac a plant?
And finally there’s a plant we call “sumac” which isn’ t related at all. Tree of Heaven ( Ailanthus altissima) is an invasive tree from China with compound leaves that resemble sumac. However its leaflets are notched, especially at the base, and the tree produces seeds instead of a fruit spike.
Is sumac a cashew?
Poison-sumac ( Toxicodendron vernix) is in the cashew family (as is Rhus ) but it’s closely related to poison ivy and causes the same rash. Its stems are smooth, like smooth sumac, but its flowers and fruit are not in dense spikes.
What are some native plants that can be used for outdoor activities?
One such plant is poison sumac, a deciduous, woody shrub or small tree. Poison sumac ( Toxicodendron vernix) inhabits swamps and other wet areas as well as pinewoods and hardwood forests.
How long does a poison sumac rash last?
Symptoms of a poison sumac rash appear 8–48 hours after exposure and can last for weeks. Some people are more sensitive to the plants and will have harsher symptoms.
How to tell if sumac is poisonous?
Symptoms of a poison sumac rash include: 1 itchiness 2 burning sensation on the skin 3 redness 4 swelling 5 watery blisters
How many leaflets does poison sumac have?
Poison sumac is characterized by: reddish stems. leaves that consist of 7–13 leaflets arranged in pairs with a single leaflet at the end. elongated leaflets with a smooth, velvety texture, smooth edges, and a V-shaped point.
What are the symptoms of sumac rash?
burning sensation on the skin. redness. swelling. watery blisters. Symptoms can interfere with a person’s day-to-day activities depending on where the rash occurs on the body and how much it spreads. People who work outside in the woods or swamp areas are particularly susceptible to poison sumac rash.
What is the poisonous oil in sumac?
What are the symptoms of poison sumac rash? Poison sumac releases an oil known as urushiol when the plant is bruised or damaged. Skin contact with the oil of a poison sumac plant causes an allergic skin reaction known as contact dermatitis. All parts of a poison sumac plant are poisonous and the oils remain active even after the plant dies.
How to get rid of poison sumac?
If you’re exposed to poison sumac, the first step is to remove the oil from your skin. Don’t wait until a reaction appears on your skin to take action; a rash could take hours to develop. Wash any exposed parts thoroughly with soap and cool water. Don’t use warm water, as this could cause the oils to spread.
Where Does Poison Sumac Grow?
Poison sumac is mostly found in wet, swampy areas with clay-like soil. That’s a good thing, because that means most of us won’t run into it along our day-to-day adventures (unlike pernicious poison ivy, which grows just about anywhere).
How Do I Treat Poison Sumac Rashes?
If you think you might have come into contact with poison sumac, rinse the area with lots of cool water and dish soap or rubbing alcohol as soon as possible. This might help remove some of the urushiol before it reacts with your skin and helps prevent its spread.
What is poison sumac?
Poison Sumac, or Toxicodendron vernix, is a common North American plant that causes skin irritation to people. Like its better-known cousin poison ivy, the green leaves of poison sumac sure to put a damper on an otherwise pleasant camping trip or another outdoor excursion. Poison sumac also goes by the name thunderwood in the southeastern US.
How many millimeters are poison sumacs?
They are white and each is 4-5 millimeters across. Poison sumac has many lookalikes that are also in the sumac family. Let’s break down the lookalikes and how to tell which sumac you’re looking at: Staghorn sumac has similar leaf arrangement to poison sumac but it has fuzzy fruit and stems. The fruits are generally red.
How to tell if a sumac is Shining?
Shining sumac is easily identified by its grooved stems between the leaflets. This stem configuration is quite distinctive once you notice it – it looks like it has been given grooves. Poison sumac has smooth, round stems.
What is the best medicine for poison sumac?
Over-the-counter remedies for poison sumac include calamine lotion, hydrocortisone creams, antihistamines like Benadryl, and topical anesthetics.
How to dispose of poison sumac?
Instead, put it in black plastic trash bags and then check with your municipality to see if they allow it in the dump.
What tree has yellow fall foliage?
Poison sumac with yellow fall foliage can rival that of the birch trees .
How tall does poison sumac grow?
Poison sumac grows to be 6 to 20 feet high. The new bark on the branches is relatively smooth. If you learn how to identify the plant by its bark, then you will be able to avoid coming into contact with poison sumac in winter (after it has lost its leaves). You can get a rash from allowing your skin to brush up against poison sumac, even in winter. 1
How many leaflets does poison sumac have?
Poison sumac has leaves made up of 5 to 13 leaflets. While the exact number varies, it is always an odd number. That's because, while most of the leaflets form matching pairs (one across from the other), there's always one lone leaflet at the tip of the compound leaf, which gives it the shape of a feather.
What is poison sumac leaf?
David Beaulieu. The shape of poison sumac leaves is described by botanists as a "pinnately compound.". "Pinnate" means resembling a feather; "compound" means that, instead of one, unified structure, a plant's leaf is really composed of multiple leaflets joined by stems. Poison sumac has leaves made up of 5 to 13 leaflets.
What to wear when working with poison sumac?
If you need to work with poison sumac in your garden, always wear protective clothing: long sleeves and pants, rubber gloves, and boots. Thoroughly hose down your boots and gloves after you’re done in the garden, and immediately wash your clothes. It's ideal to take a shower as well just in case there's some resin on your body. 4
What is the name of the poison Sumac?
Beware of Poison Sumac (Rhus Vernix). University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension
When do poison sumac berries start to grow?
Spring and Summer Berries. The Spruce / Autumn Wood. The berries of poison sumac start out green in spring and remain that color for much of the summer. They grow in clusters that are quite distinct from the berry clusters of nonpoisonous sumacs ( Rhus typhina, for example), in terms of color, shape, and texture.
