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A Forager’s Year

No. 55

Sumac

Rhus glabra, Rhus copallinum, Rhus typhina

smooth, winged and staghorn sumac

Fruit ripe red fruit clusters (for cold-infused 'sumac-ade')

Drawing: Britton & Brown, Illustrated Flora (1913)

Find
Common in the right habitat
Effort
Quick kitchen prep
ID risk
Careful
Origin
native
Uses
  • Tea
  • Juice & drinks
  • Spice & seasoning

Season

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

in season peak

What these mean

Find

1 Everywhere · 2 Common in the right habitat · 3 Patchy · 4 Elusive. This is about how much there is, not whether you may pick it. It is based on iNaturalist sightings within 25 km (about 15 miles) of downtown DC, counted on October 3, 2026. The four rules that each plant’s “Find” reason refers to: (A) the estimate is the confirmed sightings, plus the unconfirmed ones (scaled down where the plant has lookalikes in its genus), plus the sightings marked as planted; (B) the tier by estimate: 1,500 or more is tier 1, 250–1,499 tier 2, 50–249 tier 3, under 50 tier 4; (C) tier 1, Everywhere, also needs a source saying the plant is common in lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots or towns, or at least one DC street tree of it per km of sidewalk, otherwise it is tier 2; (D) if a reliable source says the plant is rare in this region, or that wild plants rarely bear the harvest, only planted sightings count. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Effort

1 Grab & eat · 2 Quick kitchen prep (under about 30 minutes) · 3 Real work (hours, or cooking needed for safety) · 4 Project (days or equipment). Scored on the simplest worthwhile use; each plant’s page says why.

ID risk

How hard it is to harvest safely. Beginner: no dangerous lookalike, and the edible part is not easily confused with a toxic part. Careful: a toxic lookalike, or toxic parts that end up in the harvest unless removed (for example elderberry stems, unripe ground cherries), or other parts of the plant rated medium-or-higher toxicity, with reliable features to separate them. Expert only: a potentially deadly lookalike that is hard to separate, or (for not-recommended harvests like pokeweed) a plant whose safe preparation can’t be guaranteed. Toxic parts that are obviously separate and thrown away anyway (pits, seeds, skins) don’t raise it; the Toxic parts mark carries that warning.

Native or not, and the invader stars

Origin is where the plant comes from: native, non-native, or mixed (the harvest covers both). The stars rate plants on invasive plant lists: ★★★ Virginia DCR “High” or Maryland prohibited invasive · ★★ Virginia “Medium” · ★ Virginia “Low” · ☆ listed only by the Maryland Invasive Species Council or the Mid-Atlantic Plant Invaders guide (advisory) · no stars: native or not listed.

Seasons

Start, peak and end are given in thirds of a month: early, mid or late. A plant counts as in season for a month if it is in season at any point in that month. Some greens and roots have a second window, in spring or fall; their page shows each window. A season that runs across New Year is shown as one window.

What it looks like

Native shrubs or small trees that spread by suckers. They have long compound leaves that blaze red in fall: smooth and staghorn sumac have 11-31 TOOTHED leaflets, while winged sumac has about 7-21 leaflets, usually with smooth (untoothed) edges, and leafy 'wings' along the leaf axis between them. Smooth sumac has hairless, waxy-white stems, and staghorn sumac has velvety twigs like a deer’s antlers. Female plants bear dense cone- or pyramid-shaped clusters of small, fuzzy, dark-red drupes at the branch tips (upright in smooth and staghorn sumac; winged sumac’s clusters often droop). The hairs carry a lemony acid that gives the berries their tart taste.

Safety

POISON SUMAC DISTINCTION: Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) has 7-13 SMOOTH-edged (untoothed) leaflets on reddish leafstalks. Its flowers and fruit hang in loose clusters on slender stalks from the leaf axils, along the SIDES of the branches, never at the tips, and its ripe fruit is ivory-white to gray, never red. It grows in wet places: swamps, bogs, marshes and wet thickets along streams. All parts of poison sumac cause severe urushiol rashes, and smoke from burning it can harm the lungs. Edible sumacs carry RED fruit in dense clusters at the BRANCH TIPS and grow on drier ground. Smooth and staghorn sumac also have TOOTHED leaflets, which poison sumac never has. Do not go by whether the clusters stand up: they are upright on smooth and staghorn sumac, but winged sumac, common around DC, often has drooping clusters. Winged sumac’s leaflets are usually untoothed, like poison sumac’s; tell it by its red fruit at the branch tips and the leafy wings along the leaf stalk between the leaflets. Make the drink with cool water rather than boiling water, and strain it through cloth or a coffee filter to remove the fine hairs.

Lookalikes

Safety flags

Safety marks and flags: what this means

Deadly lookalike / Toxic lookalike: a cited source names a lookalike of that danger. Deadly means a source says eating it may be fatal or calls it deadly, or NC State rates it high severity with life-threatening symptoms (sources sometimes disagree; for example Virginia creeper). Each plant’s Lookalikes list says how to tell them apart; “harmless (may be edible)” lookalikes are listed so you know a mix-up isn’t dangerous. Cook first: cooking is needed for safety (for daylilies it is a precaution, not a sourced requirement). Eat in moderation: a source says to limit quantity or frequency (for example oxalates in sorrels and dock, ginkgotoxin, safrole). Spray risk: a source says the plant is commonly treated with herbicide in parks or lawns (invasive control, lawn weeds) or, for ginkgo, sprayed to stop fruiting. Contamination: a source says the plant concentrates pollutants. Each plant’s Safety flags list gives the details and sources.

ID risk
Careful
Why
Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) has ivory-white to gray fruit hanging in loose clusters from the leaf axils along the sides of the branches, 7-13 smooth-edged leaflets on reddish stalks, and grows in wet places. Edible sumacs have red fruit in clusters at the branch tips and grow on drier ground; smooth and staghorn sumac have toothed leaflets and upright clusters, while winged sumac’s clusters often droop and its leaflets are usually untoothed, but its leaf stalk is winged.
Handling hazards
Irritant sap/pulp (moderate)
Soil risk
low
ID risk: what this means

How hard it is to harvest safely. Beginner: no dangerous lookalike, and the edible part is not easily confused with a toxic part. Careful: a toxic lookalike, or toxic parts that end up in the harvest unless removed (for example elderberry stems, unripe ground cherries), or other parts of the plant rated medium-or-higher toxicity, with reliable features to separate them. Expert only: a potentially deadly lookalike that is hard to separate, or (for not-recommended harvests like pokeweed) a plant whose safe preparation can’t be guaranteed. Toxic parts that are obviously separate and thrown away anyway (pits, seeds, skins) don’t raise it; the Toxic parts mark carries that warning.

Handling hazards: what this means

Stings, thorns, irritating or phototoxic sap, staining hulls and spiny husks, with a severity: minor = brief discomfort; moderate = rash or blisters lasting days; serious = burns, scarring or medical care possible.

Soil risk: what this means

Based on the part you eat, following the urban-soil lead guidance on the Field safety page: higher for greens, shoots and roots; moderate for flowers; low for fruit, nuts and sap.

Field safety for every outing (poison ivy, ticks, soil, and more)

When to pick

Starts
late Jul
Peak
late Aug–late Aug
Ends
late Oct

Sumac clusters start to redden by mid-summer (Backyard Forager, Pennsylvania), and the Missouri Dept. of Conservation gives August-September for smooth sumac fruit. Winged sumac, common around DC, blooms in July and August (Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia) and ripens in September and October (FEIS). The lemony acids coat the fruit and are washed off by rain, so harvest soon after the clusters ripen and after dry weather; taste a berry or two first (Backyard Forager). Clusters hang on all winter (NC State; MGNV), but each rain leaves them less tart (Backyard Forager), so weathered winter clusters are poor for drinks.

How the dates were worked out

Every start, peak and end was re-checked in October 2026. “Sourced” means a source opened during the check states that timing for the DC or Mid-Atlantic area. “Estimated” means no source states it exactly; the reason, the evidence and the source links are under “How the dates were worked out” on each plant’s page. Peaks are often estimated, because few sources name a peak. iNaturalist evidence means research-grade sightings near DC, by month, of the plant at that stage (for example, in fruit). iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Season basis: estimated: start, peak

Start

estimated: Missouri Dept. of Conservation and NC State start smooth sumac fruit in August. Pennsylvania timing and DC records show red clusters by July, so late July marks the first clusters worth tasting.

Peak

estimated: No source names a peak for drinks; late August is soon after the smooth-sumac clusters ripen and usually in hot, dry weather.

End

sourced

Evidence

start: Backyard Forager (Ellen Zachos, Pennsylvania): sumac is bright red 'about mid-summer', and on June 26 the fruit was 'starting to turn red but it’ll be at least a month before they’re ready'. DC iNaturalist research-grade fruiting records for smooth sumac jump to 14 in the week of Jul 2-8 and stay at 2-9/week after. | peak: MDC: smooth sumac 'Fruits August-September'; photo caption 'Smooth sumac fruits ripen in late summer'. Backyard Forager: gather 'as soon as possible after the berries ripen', since 'Hot, dry weather intensifies the sourness'. | end: FEIS: winged sumac 'fruit ripens during September and October, and persists through the winter'; smooth sumac 'Fruit ripens from September to October'. NC State: smooth sumac fruit 'in clusters from Aug. to October' and drupes 'in summer to fall that persist into winter'.

Where to look

Sunny banks, old fields and highway edges; Dyke Marsh, Huntley Meadows and Four Mile Run have the most logged stands but ban picking, so use Virginia state parks or private roadside stands with permission.

Habitats
disturbed ground & waste places, old fields & meadows, woods edges, trailsides & thickets
Habitats: what this means

Listed where the plant’s own sources place it in that habitat. “Disturbed ground & waste places” means a cited source places it on disturbed areas, sites, soil or ground, on waste places or waste ground, on construction or abandoned building sites (old home sites count), on rubble or in strip mines. When the source gives examples of the disturbed places, at least one example must be of that kind. Examples that do not count: natural or forestry disturbance (treefall gaps, fire, windthrow, flood scour, old riverbanks and creeks, clear-cuts); roadsides, railroads and rights-of-way; and abandoned fields, pastures and farmland, which are “Old fields & meadows”. “Vacant lots” only where a source says vacant or empty lots.

Most-logged places

None of the most-logged places allows picking.

Ask first: rules unclear or not checked

  • Kingman & Heritage Islands

    62 sightings · Legal to pick: unknown · see them on iNaturalist

    No DC rule found that allows or bans picking; treat as not authorized and never damage plants (DC Code 22-3310).

No picking here (4 places)
  • Four Mile Run stream valley (Arlington/Alexandria)

    122 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: Arlington County park rules (flora shall not be removed or disturbed) and Alexandria’s permit rule both apply.

  • Huntley Meadows Park

    110 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: Fairfax County parks ban removing any plant part without written permission.

  • Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve

    76 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: GW Memorial Parkway sites (incl. Great Falls VA, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Dyke Marsh) designate nothing for gathering.

  • Mount Vernon Trail

    60 sightings · Legal to pick: no · see them on iNaturalist

    Look but don’t pick: GW Memorial Parkway sites (incl. Great Falls VA, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Dyke Marsh) designate nothing for gathering.

Most-logged places: what this means

The places with the most research-grade iNaturalist sightings within 25 km of downtown DC (re-counted in October 2026 over every named place, campuses, condominiums and private grounds included), each marked legal to pick or not. A sighting inside several named places counts once, for the smallest of them, but a sighting inside a National Park Service park never counts for a private, campus or unchecked place. iNaturalist shows where people walk and log plants, not true abundance. Private campuses, condominiums, museums, estates and utility land (Pepco’s power-line land near Sligo Creek) are marked “no” (pick only with the owner’s permission); public university campuses, city parks and other places whose picking rules were not checked (county stormwater land, the U.S. Capitol Grounds, Greenbelt’s North Woods, federal facilities such as the National Zoo) are “unknown”. A place needs at least 2 sightings, so plants with very few sightings (rugosa rose) have no places. No most-logged places are named for at-risk plants (ramps, chinquapin, American chestnut); chinquapin’s page names Mason Neck State Park, where picking is legal, and asks you to leave most nuts. For some places, mostly Rock Creek Park, the iNaturalist map shows more sightings than the count here, because a map link cannot leave out exactly the sightings credited to another place. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Ways to use it

  • sumac-ade or tea, steeped in cool water (never boiling), strained and sweetened
  • dried ground spice

Keeping

Cut the red clusters after several dry days, before heavy rain, and dry them within a few days for a lemony spice that keeps 1-2 years.

Use within
weeks
Keeps fresh
The tart coating washes off in rain, so cut clusters after a dry spell (Backyard Forager). For storage, set them to dry right away; dried clusters stay tart a long time (Backyard Forager).
Keeping basis
specific to this plant

Ways to keep it

  • Dry as researched: dry/dehydrate; canning: n/a (not shelf-canned)

    Hang clusters in a paper bag somewhere dark and dry for 2-4 weeks, or dehydrate the stripped berries at 95°F (Backyard Forager). Store airtight in a cool, dark place; keeps 1-2 years (Backyard Forager; NCHFP).

  • Infuse as researched: infuse/vinegar; canning: n/a (not shelf-canned)

    Cold-water 'sumac-ade' (Penn State): strain through cloth to remove the hairs, refrigerate, and drink it fresh.

Canning: what this means

Shelf-stable canning, three levels. Lab-tested: a lab-tested recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) or Oregon State covers this fruit and product, or a generic recipe for its kind (the line says so, for example chokeberry). Extension recipe: a published Extension recipe (University of Alaska Fairbanks, written for Alaska species; University of Maine’s dandelion jelly), or a process that is safe only with a pH meter; follow it exactly, never improvise. No tested recipe: refrigerate or freeze, don’t can. “Hot-bottled syrup” = maple and walnut syrup, which keep when bottled hot at full syrup density. The Canning line names the exact product each source covers, for example “whole berries” or “juice”; a product not named there (such as juice from a berry with only a whole-berry recipe) has no tested recipe.

Keeping basis: what this means

“Specific to this plant” or “general guidance for its type” (for example NCHFP guidance for leafy greens applied to a wild green).

Nutrition

Not researched: in October 2026, only the calendar’s plants of the month and chicory leaves were researched.

Native or not

All three native (R. glabra ranges across most of North America). Lookalike tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is VA DCR High.

Origin
native
Native range
eastern North America
Virginia invasive rank
not listed
Maryland invasive status
not listed
Native or not, and the invader stars: what this means

Origin is where the plant comes from: native, non-native, or mixed (the harvest covers both). The stars rate plants on invasive plant lists: ★★★ Virginia DCR “High” or Maryland prohibited invasive · ★★ Virginia “Medium” · ★ Virginia “Low” · ☆ listed only by the Maryland Invasive Species Council or the Mid-Atlantic Plant Invaders guide (advisory) · no stars: native or not listed.

Virginia DCR, Virginia Invasive Plant Species List (effective September 2024), verbatim: "Under the DCR Invasive Species Assessment Protocol, approved by the Virginia Invasive Species Working Group, January 2024, species were ranked as exhibiting high, medium or low levels of invasiveness based on their threat to natural communities and native species. Invasiveness rank is higher for species that: • Alter ecosystem processes, such as succession, hydrology or fire regime. • Are capable of invading undisturbed natural communities. • Cause substantial impacts on rare or vulnerable species or natural communities or high-quality examples of more common communities. • Are found widely distributed and generally abundant where present. • Disperse readily to new areas. • Are difficult to control." The list also states: "The list is for educational purposes only and has no regulatory authority."

Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant Law and Regulations page, verbatim: "Plants on the Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List may not be added to stock after the effective date and should not be sold after their phase-out period ends."

No official DC invasive plant list was found.

How the ratings were set

Find
Common in the right habitat Estimate 1,681 = 1,376 research-grade iNaturalist sightings within 25 km + 254 needs-ID sightings counted at 91% (in the October 5 genus count, 1,377 of the 1,507 research-grade Rhus sightings here were smooth, winged or staghorn sumac) + 73 'cultivated' (planted) sightings (rule A); that is tier 1 by count (rule B). Rule C: none of its sources says it is common in, or a weed of, an everyday place (lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots, towns), and DC’s street-tree inventory lists 383 living staghorn sumacs, under the line of one per km of DC sidewalk (2,406), so it cannot be tier 1 (Everywhere). Final tier 2.
Effort
Quick kitchen prep Sumac-ade: soak ripe red clusters in cool water, strain through cloth or a coffee filter to remove the hairs, and sweeten; drying and grinding into spice is a 3.
Find: what this means

1 Everywhere · 2 Common in the right habitat · 3 Patchy · 4 Elusive. This is about how much there is, not whether you may pick it. It is based on iNaturalist sightings within 25 km (about 15 miles) of downtown DC, counted on October 3, 2026. The four rules that each plant’s “Find” reason refers to: (A) the estimate is the confirmed sightings, plus the unconfirmed ones (scaled down where the plant has lookalikes in its genus), plus the sightings marked as planted; (B) the tier by estimate: 1,500 or more is tier 1, 250–1,499 tier 2, 50–249 tier 3, under 50 tier 4; (C) tier 1, Everywhere, also needs a source saying the plant is common in lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots or towns, or at least one DC street tree of it per km of sidewalk, otherwise it is tier 2; (D) if a reliable source says the plant is rare in this region, or that wild plants rarely bear the harvest, only planted sightings count. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.

Effort: what this means

1 Grab & eat · 2 Quick kitchen prep (under about 30 minutes) · 3 Real work (hours, or cooking needed for safety) · 4 Project (days or equipment). Scored on the simplest worthwhile use; each plant’s page says why.

Sources

32 sources, each linked to the original.

  1. C&O Canal NHP Superintendent’s Compendium, effective September 11, 2026 National Park Service, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHPBacks up: picking rules
  2. Rock Creek Park Superintendent’s Compendium (2026) National Park Service, Rock Creek ParkBacks up: picking rules
  3. Rhus copallinum (Winged Sumac) Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia / Virginia Cooperative ExtensionBacks up: description, habitat
  4. Foods that Crossreact with Cashew and Pistachio (Ask the Expert) American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & ImmunologyBacks up: effort & ID risk
  5. iNaturalist research-grade observations of Rhus glabra + R. copallinum + R. typhina within 25 km of downtown DC iNaturalistBacks up: findability
  6. Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Washington-Baltimore Area, Part I (Shetler & Orli, 2000) Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of BotanyBacks up: habitat
  7. UFA Street Trees (DC Urban Forestry street-tree inventory), Rhus typhina records District of Columbia (DDOT Urban Forestry Division, via DC GIS)Backs up: habitat
  8. Sumac Berries: a Necessary Spice Backyard Forager (Ellen Zachos)Backs up: keeping
  9. Herbs (drying) National Center for Home Food Preservation (Univ. of Georgia)Backs up: keeping
  10. Packaging and Storing Dried Foods National Center for Home Food Preservation (Univ. of Georgia)Backs up: keeping
  11. USDA PLANTS Database: Rhus glabra (RHGL), native status USDA NRCSBacks up: native or invasive status
  12. USDA PLANTS Database: Rhus copallinum (RHCO), native status USDA NRCSBacks up: native or invasive status
  13. USDA PLANTS Database: Rhus typhina (RHTY), native status USDA NRCSBacks up: native or invasive status
  14. Virginia Invasive Plant Species List (effective date: September 2024) Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural HeritageBacks up: native or invasive status
  15. Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant Law and Regulations (Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List, updated January 2026; additions effective July 15, 2026; 'Next Plants To Be Assessed' 2026-2027) Maryland Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection & Weed ManagementBacks up: native or invasive status
  16. Non-Native Invasive Terrestrial Plant Species in the State of Maryland (updates approved through the April 18, 2024 MISC meeting) Maryland Invasive Species CouncilBacks up: native or invasive status
  17. Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, Field Guide (Swearingen & Fulton, 2022; successor to the NPS/USFWS 5th ed., 2017) Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council / Passiflora Press (hosted by Bugwood/Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool)Backs up: native or invasive status
  18. Invasive Plants in the District DC Department of Energy & EnvironmentBacks up: native or invasive status
  19. Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) (EP220) University of Florida IFAS ExtensionBacks up: safety
  20. Toxicodendron vernix (Poison Sumac) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: safety
  21. Rhus copallinum (Coladonato 1992), Fire Effects Information System USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System (FEIS)Backs up: season
  22. Sumac: smooth, winged and staghorn research-grade observations within 25 km of DC, by week (fruiting annotation) iNaturalistBacks up: season
  23. Rhus copallinum (Winged Sumac) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: season, description, habitat
  24. Rhus glabra (Smooth Sumac) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: season, description, habitat, safety
  25. Winged Sumac Towson University Glen ArboretumBacks up: season, description, uses, habitat
  26. Rhus typhina (Staghorn Sumac) NC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxBacks up: season, description, uses, habitat, safety
  27. Rhus copallinum (Winged Sumac, Shining Sumac), Tried and True Native Plant Selections fact sheet (print version, 2026) Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia / Virginia Cooperative ExtensionBacks up: season, description, uses, habitat, safety
  28. Spectacular Sumacs Penn State ExtensionBacks up: season, description, uses, safety, keeping
  29. Rhus glabra (Johnson 2000), Fire Effects Information System USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System (FEIS)Backs up: season, habitat
  30. Smooth Sumac Towson University Glen ArboretumBacks up: season, uses, habitat
  31. Smooth Sumac (field guide) Missouri Department of ConservationBacks up: season, uses, habitat
  32. Sumac Berries: a Necessary Spice (2016) Backyard Forager (Ellen Zachos)Backs up: season, uses, storage