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Monthly Medicine - Staghorn Sumac

What is below is some of the information I used to teach the September Monthly Medicine class- ( I did add a couple of comments) There will also be things- we get off on tangents in class- that will not be in the notes. We also work with the plant in class- we made Sumac Lemonade for this one. There are also links to books that I may have mentioned during the class- I tried to include the relevancy. Also I can't figure out how to turn the spell check on and it is hard to see your own errors- so forgive me and I will figure it out next time

Remember we are not giving anyone medical advice- that is  the role of an MD and that system. We are just trying to give people some information on how they may want to include plants ( designed by the same intelligence that created us) ( although the wierd guy on the World Economic Forum thinks man can create a better being that the Creator did) as a viable way to help your body maintain homeostasis and have good health

Staghorn Sumac Class September 2025

I was always told that Sumac was Poisonous. While there are plants in this family that are poisonous, Staghorn Sumac, which is the plant with the large red drupes, is not. My neighbor, Naturalist George Steele taught my children about the high antioxidant content of this plant on a nature walk 30 years ago and it has been one of our favorites ever since.

Buy Trees and Shrubs Online -Staghorn Sumac Tree (2-3 Foot) - Northern ...

Our bodies were designed to use food as medicine. One of the best ways to recieve the health benefits of herbs is to start incorporating them into our cooking.

Sumac is a base ingredient in many Native American Soups and Stews. One of my favorite cook books is ,The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman. The book is packed with delicious recipies using Sumac and other ingredients that you can harvest from your own back yard. Here is a link if you are interested in the book: https://amzn.to/4nPkR7O

Middle Eastern Cuisine also uses Sumac as a staple. Here is a recipie for a homemade spice blend that goes really well on anything we use it on meat but it would be good for spicing up Tofu as well

Zatar Recipie:

1 cup dried oregano ground

▢1/2 cup sumac

▢1/2 cup sesame seeds toasted

▢1 tsp salt

Instructions

In a dry pan over medium heat, toast sesame seeds, stirring constantly for about 4-5 minutes.

Let them cool before incorporating into the spice blend.

Combine 1/2 cup of sumac and 1/2 cup of toasted sesame seeds with every 1 cup of ground oregano.

Add salt to taste.

Stir everything well in and store in a cool, dry place

Sumac Lemonade:

Instructions

  1. Harvest the berries (called 'drupes' or sumac 'bobs')
  2. Place in a large pot
  3. Cover with water and use your hands to agitate the water and the berries.
  4. Optional: Bring to a simmer and then turn off the stove
  5. Allow to sit for a while. (suggested 20min - 1 hour)
  6. Use a wooden spoon or your hands again to "smoosh" the berries
  7. Strain.  Poor ove ice and enjoy
  8. If you are able ~ and want to sweeten, I use honey or maple syrup but for those needing a little touch of sweet, I've also used alternatives like stevia

Recipe Notes

We want to strain 'herb tea' through a coffee filter (easy!) or a very fine sieve.
Soaking the berries also allows some of their acid to be released, resulting in a tastier infusion.

A patterned glass jar with a pouring spout filled with dark pink sumac syrup.

 Some gov't agencies consider Sumac a weedy nuisance. We have whole gov't agencies dedicated to hating plants ( which is not surprising considering, we have agencies that consider some people to be nuiscance too- (ok no politics- but something to think about. ) Plants and people have been traveling around the world as long as there have been plants and people, sometimes the plants show up when people most need them. A really good book I would recommend is  Iwigara by Enrique Salmon- IWIGARA- American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science

The Herbal Academy- is a really good source of Monographs on most Herbs. There is a fee to join but if you are looking for quality information about any herb, it is worth the fee.

Ok now for some information about the plant

Rhus spp.

 

Common Name

Sumac, aromatic sumac, Cherokee sumac, Chinese nutgall tree, dwarf sumac, elm-leaved sumac, fragrant sumac, Lebanese sumac, lemonade berry, little leaf sumac, mountain sumac, polecat bush, purple sumac, red sumac, salty berry, scarlet sumac, shining sumac, shoe tree, Sicilian sumac, skunk bush, sleek sumac, smooth sumac, staghorn sumac, sugar bush, sugar sumac, sumach, sweet-scented sumac, Syrian sumac, tanner’s sumac, upland sumac, velvet sumac, vinegar plant, Virginian sumac, winged sumac

 

Family

Anacardiaceae

 

Chinese Medicine Name

Wu bei zi (Chinese sumac, R. chinensis, nutgall); yan fu zi (R. chinensis, fruit)

 

Ayurvedic Name

N/A

 

Parts Used

Bark, berries, galls, leaves, roots, root bark, stalks

 

Native To

  1. coriaria: Macaronesia, from the Mediterranean to Afghanistan (Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew [RBGK], n.d.b). R. chinensis: Asia, extending from northern Pakistan to Japan (RBGK, n.d.a). North American species: R. glabra, Canada and U.S. (Hurteau, 2004); R. aromatica, eastern U.S. and Canada (Nesom, 2002); R. typhina, northeastern and some Midwest areas, Utah (USDA NRCS, n.d.b); and R. copallinum, northeastern Canada and eastern U.S. to Texas (USDA NRCS, n.d.a).

 

Geographic Distribution

  1. coriaria is now naturalized in the U.K., Portugal, and France (Global Biodiversity Information Facility [GBIF], n.d.b). R. glabra has been introduced to Australia (GBIF, n.d.c). R. aromatica has been found growing in Armenia (GBIF, n.d.a). R. chinensis has been introduced to Turkey (RBGK, n.d.a).

 

Botanical Description

Sumac is a perennial, deciduous shrub or small tree in the cashew family; there are over 250 species of the genus Rhus worldwide (Djakpo & Yao, 2010). Southern European and Middle Eastern species such as R. coriaria can grow up to 33 feet tall (Sakhr & El Khatib, 2020). There is some marked variation in terms of North American species: R. glabra rarely grows beyond 10-15 feet tall (Hurteau, 2004); R. aromatica is considerably smaller at a height of about 1.6-6.5 feet and makes straggling thickets rather than upright tree forms (Nesom, 2002); and R. typhina can peak at 30-35 feet (USDA NRCS, 2002b).

 

The smooth leaves of sumac, which are a darker green on the upper sides, are alternate with finely toothed perimeters (Hurteau, 2004). Those of R. aromatica are somewhat fragrant  (Nesom, 2002).

 

The flowers of R. glabra, which bloom from about June to July (USDA NRCS, 2002a), are tightly packed clusters that are yellow-green in color (Hurteau, 2004), while those of R. aromatica bloom often before the leaves expand, around March to May (Nesom, 2002).

 

Most sumacs carry female and male flowers on separate shrubs with only the females producing seed (USDA NRCS, 2002a). The red, rounded, hairy fruits, which are drupes, are also compact clusters, and do not begin to form until the shrub is around 3-4 years old (USDA NRCS, 2002a). The dark red fruits, packed closely in cone-like or spike-like clusters of drupes (sometimes referred to as “sumac bobs”), may range from 5-30 cm in length (Sakhr & El Khatib, 2020). While each fruit (drupe) contains but one seed, each cluster may contain anywhere from around 100 to 700 drupes (USDA NRCS, 2002a).

 

Key Constituents

  1. coriaria fruits: tannins (e.g., gallic acid), flavonoids (e.g., anthocyanins), fatty acids, minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus) (Sakhr & El Khatib, 2020), volatile compounds (e.g., terpenes) (Shabbir, 2012).

 

  1. coriaria leaves: Flavonoids (quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol), tannins (e.g., gallic acid and ellagic acid) (Shabbir, 2012).

 

Sustainability Issues

American sumac species are noted as valuable hosts to many types of creatures, among them insects (bees and butterflies), birds, deer, rabbits, and other animals, and they can also help stabilize the soil (Missouri Department of Conservation, n.d.). Sumac furthermore serves as winter emergency food for a wide variety of wildlife, especially many types of birds (Geniusz, 2015; Nesom, 2002; USDA NRCS, 2002a). This makes it important to wildcraft only what is needed and allow some berries to overwinter on the trees for wildlife (Geniusz, 2015).

 

The presence of fire also encourages increased germination of sumac species (Hurteau, 2004; Nesom, 2002). R. glabra is markedly drought hardy and its rhizomes, being located 3-12 inches below the soil surface, may protect sumac from heat during fires (Hurteau, 2004), aspects which may make it attractive in some areas due to climate change issues. R. aromatica is used to rehabilitate soil in areas that have been disturbed (Nesom, 2002).

 

Note that a wide variety of American conservation agencies as well as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) flag several species of sumac as weedy and/or invasive (Hurteau, 2004; USDA NRCS, 2002b). For a strongly contrasting Indigenous viewpoint on the subject of its invasiveness, however, refer to Enrique Salmón (2020), who notes the plant’s many uses as an herb and food.

 

Harvesting Guidelines

  1. coriaria is generally found in thickly wooded uplands of southern Europe and western Asia (DeBaggio & Tucker, 2009). Look for many North American species in open fields, burned areas, or soil that is sandy and gravelly, and along railroads, fences, and roads—and as they are not very tolerant of shade (except perhaps for the slightly more tolerant R. aromatica), sumacs are not often found under closed tree canopies (USDA NRCS, 2002a).

 

Collect the bark in the springtime when the sap is active and the berries when they are ripe—the latter to be tinctured fresh to avoid potential infestation of worms (Wood, 2009). Herbalist Matthew Wood (2009) notes that the berries are at peak potency if they are harvested after at least a week-long period of no rainfall. Medicine woman, teacher, and author Mary Siisip Geniusz (2015), an Anishinaabe woman who was an apprentice of Anishinaabe/Ojibwe medicine woman Keewaydinoquay, explained why: 1) the fruits dry most easily when already dry, thus avoiding the development of mold, and 2) the very water-soluble acid gets leached out of the fruit by extended autumnal rains.

 

Due to the fact that sumac is an important ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine, R. coriaria is harvested both commercially and also by local individuals throughout the region. The fruits are typically dried in the sun and then ground up for use as a spice (Sakhr & El Khatib, 2020). At the end of summertime, the fruits are collected and often dried while still on the branch—and are sometimes sold still intact on the branch rather than separated from it (Helou, 2013a). The berries may also be ground into a powder of various hues of red to remove the stone-like seeds (Helou, 2013a).

 

As noted above, sumac is a valuable host for wildlife and a winter food source, so be particularly mindful of not overharvesting (Geniusz, 2015; Nesom, 2002; USDA NRCS, 2002a).

 

Uses

 

Only 30 years ago most of the world would not have been very familiar with sumac. As sumac is increasingly known for its tangy and invigorating culinary qualities, the general public may now easily recognize this herb from the recipes of the eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African regions, where R. coriaria, their most commonly known and used species, features prominently in the spice blend known as za’atar, which varies in ingredients but is generally composed of powdered sumac fruits blended with salt, sesame seeds, oregano (Origanum syriacum), wild thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and/or marjoram (Origanum majorana), as well as other spices (Inskeep & Godoy, 2013). (See chef and food writer Anissa Helou [2013b] for a tutorial on how to make za’atar). In North America, meanwhile, concocting “sumac lemonade” from native species—in fact an old traditional usage—has been rising in popularity. Sumac is more than a pretty plaything in the herbal kitchen, however; it is a markedly astringent, antioxidant powerhouse with a long history of herbal applications (Alsamri et al., 2021; Wood, 2009).

 

The etymology of the word “sumac” is generally thought to derive from the Arabic summāq, meaning “dark red” (Abu-Reidah et al., 2014; Sakhr & El Khatib, 2020), a reference to the color of its fruit clusters. Sumac fruit has been used to symbolize the color of the rising sun (Kayhan Life, 2018), and sumac is one of seven items symbolically used in the 13-day long Persian New Year celebration known as Nowruz, which marks the celebration of spring’s beginning (Blakemore, 2022). While Nowruz has been celebrated for thousands of years, the tradition of putting the symbolic items on a household table only arose in the 20th century, and in this rather new rite, sumac symbolizes love (Blakemore, 2022).

 

Sumac is largely used for its berries, and several sumac species—and R. coriaria in particular—are recognized not only as possessing antioxidant actions but also antimicrobial (including antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral) actions that contribute to its special versatility within the food industry, where the herb has been variously employed as a preservative, colorant, fortifier, acidity regulator, and feed additive (Sakhr & El Khatib, 2020). Sumac’s practical versatility, however, goes back far further to ancient times. High in tannic acid, R. coriaria has been employed since antiquity as a tanning agent and is today utilized for fine leather goods and as an agent useful against wood decay (Shabbir, 2012).

 

A handful of Rhus species have also been traditionally used for dyeing, among them R. coriaria; the root was used for a brown color, the bark for an orange yellow, and the leaves with an iron mordant for gray (Brunello, 1973). Sumac was meanwhile also used in the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods to obtain ocher (Brunello, 1973), and the wood, once dried and powdered, made a black dye (Parkinson, 1640). The ancient Greek botanist and physician Dioscorides (50-70/2000) noted that a decoction of leaves was used also to dye hair black. Mary Siisip Geniusz (2015) notes that sumac is artistically useful not just in the variety of dyes it produces but also in that the fresh wood and stems release moisture that results in a glossy, shellac-like finish to items made from them.

 

North America, meanwhile, contains many different native species—far more than are found across the Atlantic—the historical uses of which were prominent both in Indigenous usage as well as among colonial settlers. Sumac was utilized as a dye, which then took on economic importance (Wood, 2009). Sumac was officially adopted in the 19th-century American pharmacopeia, in particular the species known as fragrant sumac (R. aromatica) and smooth sumac (R. glabra) (Holmes, 2006; Wood, 2009). Winged sumac (R. copallinum) and staghorn sumac (R. typhina) have also been utilized in folk herbalism (Wood, 2009). While most species of sumac that have been traditionally used and are discussed here are found in the eastern regions of North America, the following species have certainly been variously used further west: R. trilobata, R. microphylla, R. ovata (Kane, 2006), and R. integrifolia, often by Indigenous peoples such as the Chumash (Garcia & Adams, 2009).

 

In Asia, the native R. chinensis is used for its fruits but also prized for its galls (also called nutgalls), which form on the sumac plant due to the involvement of aphids (Boggs, 2018). The herbal use of this bitter gall is practiced in Chinese medicine, and was also known to Europeans of the 17th century as efficacious in the killing of intestinal worms and as a scented moth deterrent placed in storage chests (Parkinson, 1640). In North America, both R. glabra and R. typhina may also act as hosts for gall formation (Boggs, 2018).

 

  1. coriaria is the most-used species in Asia and Europe with a longstanding history in both ancient Mediterranean and Arabic medicine (Abu-Reidah et al., 2014; Wood, 2009), and it is by far the most currently studied with respect to scientific research (despite the widespread traditional use of so many native North American species). The Greek and Roman records of the 1st century CE demonstrate unbroken historical continuity in some uses of sumac: Roman polymath Pliny the Elder (1906) mentioned sumac in his treatment of the trees of Syria and noted that the plant was used in tanning skins, something it is still used for today. He describes its red fruits, which he noted as maturing at the same time as grapes, notes that it was called Rhus, and remarks that it was a necessary ingredient in various medicines (Pliny, 1906).

 

In the western Mediterranean, sumac was known to be used in culinary sauces as well as herbal preparations at least as far back as the Roman Empire (Dioscorides, 50-70/2000). Sumac has also long been used variously and widely by many of the Indigenous peoples of North America, including both culinary uses and as herbal preparations. For example, the Chumash, Anishinaabeg, and many Indigenous nations of eastern North America have traditionally made a beverage from the fruit that is often called “sumac lemonade” (Garcia & Adams, 2009; Geniusz, 2015; Salmón, 2020), a use which is popular today among many foraging enthusiasts. Versions of this beverage are also found in the Middle East (Accad, 2012). It is concocted by crushing fresh, insect-free berries and then pouring boiling water over them or covering them with cool water out in the sun; after passing this heated liquid through a fine strainer to remove the tiny, irritating hairs on the berries, the resulting liquid is sweetened and enjoyed hot or cold (Geniusz, 2015).

 

In the Middle Ages, sumac remained both a culinary treat and beneficial herb; in the 12th century the famous Jewish philosopher and physician Maimonides suggested the use of za’atar to his clients (Cohen, 2019; Inskeep & Godoy, 2013), and the Renaissance herbalist Parkinson (1640) created a long entry on sumacs, including the ancient uses of three Old World species and one New World species that was new to European herbalism. He designated R. coriaria as a meat-seasoning condiment in Turkey, and its value as a plant in the East is revealed in his remark that sumac trees were fertilized as carefully as grapevines (Parkinson, 1640). In Arabic records, meanwhile, Persian polymath Avicenna (1025/1973) also mentioned sumac in combination with other herbs for astringent and skincare preparations.

 

If sumac were known for one thing in its longstanding, traditional folk herbal usages throughout the world, however, that would be its astringent nature. As far back as antiquity sumac fruit was being used for drying up all manner of “flux” (discharges) and as a vulnerary (Dioscorides, 50-70/2000). In the Renaissance period, sumac leaf and seed (which likely referred to the fruit) were identified as cooling, drying, astringent, and good for all “fluxes,” and the herb was used in meat, drink, broth, bath preparations, and more (Parkinson, 1640). Iranian herbalists, meanwhile, have used sumac’s astringency to address wounds, diarrhea, and dysentery and, in an instance of ancient tradition, to control motion sickness (Fereidoonfar et al., 2019; Zakeri et al., 2020). Sumac’s astringency is still considered its key agency today: according to herbalist Matthew Wood (2009), sumac remains the go-to herb for arresting “excessive flux from any channel of elimination—skin, kidneys, colon, lung, or menses” (p. 298).

 

Sumac’s astringency has more recently been notably employed in Eastern and Western traditions as a specific for the genitourinary system. In Chinese medicine, sumac is associated with the Lung, Kidney, and Bladder meridians as well as fluids within the body (Holmes, 2006). For herbalist Peter Holmes (2006), R. glabra root bark (he considers the root bark the best form of the herb, opining that both tree bark and berry are less potent) stands out in its astringent action, which harmonizes the urinary system when issues like incontinence, polyuria, or frequent/scanty urination are present, or when urination is an issue in diabetes. Sumac may cause astriction and is considered restorative with respect to Bladder tone and control, and its anti-incontinence aspect is useful for addressing “genitourinary (Kidney) Qi deficiency” (Holmes, 2006, p. 806). The berry in both tincture and decoction may address Bladder damp-heat (Holmes, 2006).

 

Sumac’s astringency in connection to the genitourinary system is also borne out by North American Indigenous practice. It is used in multiple ways by the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to support said system: they have traditionally boiled the fruit of R. typhina to be drunk for bladder discomfort; have taken a portion of the root, measured from the tip of the ill person’s finger to the base of the palm, and boiled it down to address both bladder and kidney dysfunctions; and have combined sumac with Hypericum hypericoides for urinary tract infections, bed wetting amongst children (who might also be instructed to suck on sumac fruits and spit out the seeds for this issue, sometimes using the whole cluster), kidney problems, and impeded urination (Boughman & Oxendine, 2004). Scientific studies by far and large remain animal based at this time, but one has demonstrated in vitro that human bladder contraction was inhibited by R. aromatica, leading researchers to suggest the possibility of therapeutic benefit to patients with bladder dysfunction while at the same time calling for controlled clinical studies (Borchert et al., 2004).

 

Venereal disease is another area in which sumac’s astringency has played a role: even after the appearance of modern antibiotics, the Lumbee infused sumac along with devil’s shoestring (Tephrosia virginiana) for gonorrhea (Boughman & Oxendine, 2004). The Delaware have traditionally prepared an infusion of dwarf sumac (R. copallinum) root for venereal disease and have used the root of R. typhina in combination with other herbs for venereal diseases (Tantaquidgeon, 2001).

 

In terms of general skincare, sumac’s astringency has been key in its vulnerary role for thousands of years: in ancient Rome, Dioscorides (50-70/2000) was noting the herb’s use in poultice, plaster, and unguent form for a varieties of issues, from gangrene to hemorrhoids, and it was also used throughout centuries for various eye issues, gynecological issues, bruises, and more (Parkinson, 1640). Meanwhile, Indigenous peoples of North America such as the Cherokee infuse the berries for sunburn, and the Ojibwe use an infusion of the roots for hemorrhages (Salmón, 2020). Sumac species such as R. coriaria have received some scientific attention for their ability to reduce skin inflammation (Khalilpour et al., 2019).

 

The berries of sumac are also well known for their antioxidant power. R. coriaria fruit has been particularly studied for this aspect (Kosar et al., 2007), and one study also found antioxidant activity in the stem of Rhus typhina (Liu et al., 2019). Sumac’s antioxidant agency has in part accordingly led directly to scientific studies in areas such as diabetes, heart health, and cancer. As we have seen above, sumac has been used traditionally by American herbalists for urination issues in diabetes (Holmes, 2006; Wood, 2009), and it was in fact for this indication that sumac entered 19th-century American medicine, introduced by a doctor (Wood, 2009). On the other side of the Atlantic, R. coriaria has also been traditionally used for diabetes (Abu-Reidah et al., 2014; Mohammadi et al., 2010). One double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study has recommended powdered sumac (R. coriaria) for type 2 diabetes patients as a way to protect heart health (Rahideh et al., 2014). Sumac is now also gaining interest for its cardioprotective potential (Alsamri et al., 2021).

 

Sumac’s potentiality as a supportive anticancer herb has been primarily explored in relation to breast cancer. In particular, R. coriaria fruit extract demonstrates antitumor activity against human cancer cells lines in vitro: at certain doses this species of sumac was able to stunt the spread of cancer cells via apoptosis and by regulating antiapoptotic protein (Gabr & Alghadir, 2021). An ethanolic fruit extract of the same species was also found to spark autophagic cell death and antiproliferation in breast cancer cell lines (El Hasasna et al., 2015). Scientific inquiry has also looked into its autophagic and apoptotic abilities with regard to colon cancer cells: the fruit extract’s anticancer effects were strong enough that researchers have suggested sumac’s potential as a therapeutic agent against cancer (Athamneh et al., 2017).

 

Sumac’s applications, both ancient and modern, go beyond the scope of this monograph even in the realm of its antioxidant and astringent actions (refer to Abu-Reidah et al., 2014, p. 234, for a further summation of uses). It crosses into more specific territories such as gynecological wellbeing (Wood, 2009), joint conditions (Wood, 2009; Zakeri et al., 2020), and even infectious diseases: sumac has recently been proposed as as antibacterial effective against a variety of pathogens (Alsamri et al., 2021)—an indication that in fact can be traced back to ancient Persian medicine (Zakeri et al., 2020)—and also as an antiviral agent in extract form with respect to COVID-19 treatment (Korkmaz, 2021).

 

Infusion: 1 tsp R. glabra fruit 1-2x/day (Duke et al., 2002); 6-8 fl oz (made with 1 oz dried R. glabra leaf or fruit in 1 quart water) 3x/day (Kloos, 2017).

 

Dried herb: 1.5-6 g R. chinensis nutgall per day (Jennes, 2004).

 

Decoction: 6-8 fl oz (made with 1 oz dried R. glabra bark in 1 quart water) 3x/day (Kloos, 2017).

 

Tincture: 20-40 drops dried R. aromatica root bark (1:5, 50% alcohol, 10% glycerin) up to 4x/day; 20-40 drops dried R. glabra leaf or fruit (1:5, 50% alcohol, 10% glycerin) up to 4x/day (Buhner, 2012); 15-30 drops fresh R. glabra leaf or bark (1:2, 75%) up to 4x/day (Kloos, 2017).

 

Safety

Sumac is related to well-known poisonous plants: both poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and poison oak (Toxicodendron pubescens) (the latter is even sometimes referred to as “sumac”) are in the same family and although now reclassified into a different genus (Toxicodendron), in the past they have been listed along with sumacs in the genus Rhus (Missouri Department of Conservation, n.d.). Take care when differentiating safe sumacs from poison sumac/swamp sumac (Toxicodendron vernix), which may be done by observing the berries or leaves: poison sumac has grayish, white, or greenish berries that hang down as opposed to the hairy, red, packed clusters of safe sumacs, and poison sumac features smooth-edged leaves while other safe sumacs have toothed edges (Missouri Department of Conservation, n.d.). Careful identification of leaves should also be undertaken to distinguish sumacs from the similar-looking species of tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), black walnut (Juglans nigra), or the golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) (Missouri Department of Conservation, n.d.).

 

Sumac is contraindicated in severe diarrhea and “empty cold conditions” (Holmes, 2006, p. 806), a Chinese medicine concept in which the body lacks warmth due to yang deficiency. Excessive amounts of bark can be laxative, contact with the plant may cause dermatosis, and its tannins may interact in a variety of ways within the body (Duke et al., 2002). For example, consumption of tannins can cause gastrointestinal distress and lower the absorption of iron and other nutrients; for this reason, it’s best to consume tannin-rich herbs separately from meals and supplements (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013).

 

Ways to Use

Bath Beverages Compress Decoction Food Gargle Infused oil Infusion Poultice Powder Salve Tea Tincture

Actions

Anti-inflammatory Antibacterial Anticancer Antidiabetic Antifungal Antimicrobial Antioxidant Antiviral Astringent Cardioprotective Vulnerary

Taste

Sour

Energy

Cooling Drying

Scientific Research

Composition analysis and antioxidant activities of the Rhus typhina L. stem

 

Could sumac be effective on COVID-19 treatment? Possibly- high in minerals and antioxident, need to do a little more research and a journey.

References - these are references not links- you might want to copy and paste them into a browser if you are interested.

Abu-Reidah, I.M., Jamous, R.M, & Ali-Shtayeh, M.S. (2014). Phytochemistry, pharmacological properties and industrial applications of Rhus coriaria L. (sumac). Jordan Journal of Biological Sciences, 7(4), 233-244. http://doi.org/10.12816/0008245

 

Accad, J. (2012, June 28). Sumac lemonade. https://www.tasteofbeirut.com/sumac-lemonade/

 

Alsamri, H., Althamneh, K., Pintus, G., Eid, A.H., & Iratni, R. (2021). Pharmacological and antioxidant activities of Rhus coriaria. Antioxidants, 10(1), Article 73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.111518

 

Athamneh, K., El Hasasna, H., Al Samri, H., Attoub, S., Arafat, K., Benhalilou, N. …. Iratni, R. (2017). Rhus coriaria increases protein ubiquitination, proteasomal degradation and triggers non-canonical Beclin-1-independent autophagy and apoptotic cell death in colon cancer cells. Scientific Reports, 7(1), Article 11633. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11202-3

 

Avicenna. (1973). The canon of medicine of Avicenna (O.C. Gruner, Trans.). AMS Press. (Original work published 1025)

 

Blakemore, E. (2022, March 16). This ancient festival is a celebration of springtime—and a brand new year. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2022/03/this-ancient-festival-is-a-celebration-of-springtime-and-a-brand-new-year

 

Boggs, J. (2018, July 30). Sumac gall aphid: More than meets the eye. Buckeye Yard & Garden onLine: The Ohio State University. https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1112

 

Borchert, V.E., Czyborra, P., Fetscher, C., Goepel, M., & Michel, M.C. (2004). Extracts from Rhois aromatica and Solidaginis virgaurea inhibit rat and human bladder contraction. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology, 369(3), 281-286. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-004-0869-x

 

Boughman, A.L., & Oxendine, L.O. (2004). Herbal remedies of the Lumbee Indians. McFarland & Company.

 

Brunello, F. (1973). The art of dyeing in the history of mankind. Neri Pozza.

 

Buhner, S. (2012). Herbal antibiotics: Natural alternatives for treating drug-resistant bacteria. Storey Publishing.

 

Cohen, Y. (2019). My spiced kitchen: A Middle Eastern cookbook. Page Street Publishing.

 

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