“Perhaps no native plant is as flamboyant as smooth sumac in autumn, when large colonies create blankets of fluorescent yellows and reds along the highways and byways of America” — Michael Dirr

Native Americans smoked the leaves of the smooth sumac to relieve symptoms of asthma and the blossoms were made into a mouthwash for teething children. The fruit was used to treat sunburn and sores. A red dye was made from the fruits and a yellow dye was made using the inner bark. ^{1 2 3}

Smooth sumac is a large shrub with long graceful feathery branches that have 15 to 23 leaflets on each branch. The flowers are greenish yellow. In the fall they become a deep red velvety fruit called drupes. Each cluster of drupes can contain 100 to 700 seeds. The burgundy leaves and velvety red fruits are conspicuous and easily recognized throughout all 48 contiguous states. It is drought tolerant and grows in dry and rocky soils. Because it easily forms into dense thickets it is a good choice for stabilizing soil erosion areas.

About 300 species of songbirds, ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite quail, and wild turkey enjoy the sumac’s fruit. The bark is food for rabbits, and squirrels. White tail deer enjoy the fruit and stems.⁴ Smooth sumac is attractive to a large number of pollinators, such as native bees, butterflies and beetles. Sumac leaves are an important food for the caterpillars of the red-banded hairstreak butterfly⁵, the spotted datana moth, and the regal or royal walnut moth. The larvae of nine additional butterflies and moths have been recorded feeding on sumacs.⁶

The genus name, Rhus refers to a group of small trees or shrubs. The specific epithet Glabra is Latin for smooth or hairless. This differentiates smooth sumac from the staghorn sumac, which is known for its young branches that resemble velvet horns of a male deer. smooth sumac can be used in areas with poor soil and for naturalizing in wild areas. Caution should be used when considering it for smaller areas because of its aggressive growth and weedy appearance⁷.