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Upcoming Events | Meet the Instructors | Plant Archive | Mushroom Archive
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The Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum) is a native plant with edible fruits. The winged sumac is in the same family as cashews, poison ivy, mangoes, and pistachios.
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Winged sumac has compound leaves which turn red in the fall. Fruit clusters can persist throughout the winter.
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All berries of red sumacs are edible. The berries produce an acid that tastes similar to lemon. Berries can be swished in room temperature water to create a lemonade substitute.
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Edible sumacs must be differentiated from Poison Sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) which has white berries that hang down and grows in swamps.
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Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.