The Velvet or Staghorn Sumac— Rhus hirta. Rhus typhina 
/^F the several species of Sumac that add 
so much beauty to American land¬ 
scapes the Velvet or Staghorn Sumac is the 
one which is most likely to take on the si/e 
and dignity of a tree. It is always to be 
known at any season of the year by the dense 
growth of velvety hairs upon the hark of the 
younger branches. I he long petioles of the 
compound leaves are similarly clothed. 1 he 
leaflets are regularly though not deeply 
serrate on the margins. In autumn the 
leaves assume most brilliant colors, com¬ 
monly becoming an intense red which is 
almost scarlet. T he dense panicles of flow¬ 
ers appear on the ends of short branches 
early in summer. The pollen-hearing and 
the seed-hearing blossoms are separate, the 
former coming into flower about a week in 
advance of the latter. The general color in 
each case is greenish yellow, more or less 
tinged with red. The flowers are very 
freely visited by a great variety of insects, 
which serve as pollen carriers. The fruit 
matures early in autumn, becoming of a 
brilliant crimson color, the large panicles of 
which are familiar to everyone. 
The Staghorn Sumac often reaches a 
height of thirty or forty feet and is commonly 
used to great advantage in landscape plant¬ 
ing. It serves admirably as a background 
for low shrubbery and always has a decided 
decorative value. In spring and summer 
the long green leaves give an effect of tropi¬ 
cal luxuriance, while in autumn the crimson 
foliage and fruit are unsurpassed for bril¬ 
liance of coloring. Even in winter, when 
the leaves have fallen and most of the fruits 
have broken off, its velvety twigs with their 
characteristic mode of branching are attrac¬ 
tive and interesting. The wood is strongly 
yellow in color. Like the other Sumacs this 
species spreads rapidly from suckers which 
are easily transplanted. During recent years 
a cut-leaved variety has been introduced 
which is desirable as an ornamental plant. 
T he Staghorn Sumac seems most at home 
in the Atlantic Coast States, although it has 
a range extending from New Brunswick to 
Minnesota on the north and Mississippi to 
Alabama on the south. It is a hardy species, 
notably free from attack by insect or fungus 
enemies. 
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