STAGHORN SUMAC

Before leaving our beloved northern campsite, I took photos of the fall foliage surrounding it.  The winner of the most colorful award was the Staghorn Sumac bush and its reddish-brownish fruit.  We're familiar with this plant, as it is native to roadsides from Quebec to Ontario to Minnesota south to Georgia, North Carolina, Indiana and Iowa.  It gets its name from its coarse branches covered with fine hairs that resemble deer antlers in velvet.

Around 100 species of birds utilize the Staghorn Sumac as food and for shelter.  Among these birds are the woodpecker, robin, Sparrow, towhee, tanager, bluebird and wild turkey.  

Close-up photo of the berries

 During my online research of the Staghorn Sumac, I learned that its fruit is called lemonade berry cuz its ripe fruit makes a very pretty, very tart beverage when infused in water as a sun tea or hot steeped tea.   "Simply boil the berries in a pot of water for a few minutes to make Hot Staghorn Sumac Tea.  Cover the berries in boiling water, then turn off the heat and let the berries sit for 10-15 minutes.  6 berry clusters typically make a nice pitcher of tea."

Sadly, our roadsides are sprayed with chemicals, so my inclination would be not to make this tea unless I knew it grew in a place where spraying is not allowed.  I have strong opinions when it comes to covering Mother Earth in a blanket of poison.  The process is cleverly camouflaged as 'vegetation management.'  

"Vegetation is the basic instrument the Creator uses to set all of Nature in motion."~Antoine Lavoisier

Now in September, the Staghorn Sumac leaves turn a rich red color.  Native Americans smoked the dried red leaves in their pipes.  If the sumac branches were large and straight enough, they were used to make pipe stems.  Everything in life has its purpose.