Smooth sumac is a native plant found throughout the eastern United States. A good choice for difficult sites, mass plantings, screening and highways plantings. The dark green summer foliage turns an excellent yellow to orange-red-purple combinations in fall. Female plants produce scarlet, hairy terminal fruits in summer and persistent into winter.
Do not eat these plants. Many of the species in this genus are highly toxic and can also cause severe irritation to the skin of some people, whilst other species such as this one are not poisonous. It is relatively simple to distinguish which is which, the poisonous species have axillary panicles and smooth fruits whilst non-poisonous species have compound terminal panicles and fruits covered with acid crimson hairs
