staghorn sumac

Also known as Velvet Sumac, Vinegar Tree

Staghorn sumac forms dense clonal thickets across eastern North American roadsides, clearings, and forest edges, spreading rapidly through underground rhizomes. Its trademark velvety, thick branches closely resemble deer antlers in velvet, supporting large pinnate leaves that turn brilliant shades of scarlet and orange each autumn. Compact cone-like clusters of fuzzy red drupes persist on female plants through winter, providing crucial emergency forage for songbirds and game birds.