Staghorn Sumac

[Tap]

For anyone looking to add some early succession trees, think about some staghorn sumac.
In every place that I've ever seen it growing, its a buck magnet for rubs. This patch I have has several dozen trees. I don't think there is a single tree that hasn't been rubbed.
There's no way pics can do this patch justice. Rubs larger than my calf are here EVERY year for the last 15+ years.
I love having some staghorn around.

There are a few dozen rubs like this all around these...

Multi-year rubs on trees...
That's the remains of a dead fawn out in the green area.
I found several dead deer today :-(

Rubs from past years...

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[Chainsaw]

I agree Tap. Staghorn sumac trees are one of our best ever deer trees on the property. The deer utilize them such though it is a wonder any of the stands survive. Debarking at least some from almost every stand is an annual late winter ritual that kills a lot of sumac stems. Saw the first deer debarked sumac trunk of the season just last week. The female trees of course provide excellent feed through their bright red seed pods each winter for both deer and turkey here.
Actually was recently thinking of ordering some seedlings to try and start up some new colonies of staghorn sumac.

 

[Native Hunter]

Smooth Sumac is much the same at my place. Lots of rubbing.

 

[Tap]

What does it take to propagate it? Can I gather seed and shove them in the ground? When do I gather seeds? Do seeds need stratified? Started in pots?

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[Native Hunter]

What does it take to propagate it? Can I gather seed and shove them in the ground? When do I gather seeds? Do seeds need stratified? Started in pots?

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In my area it is a pioneering species that just pops up everywhere. I've never thought about trying to plant more.

My thought would be to gather seed in the late fall or winter. I would go ahead and plant them right after gathering them. That would mimic the way that Mammy Nature does it.

 

[snowracerh]

I cut some nature sumac down with a brush saw and a bunch more grew back very aggressively. May help propogate or regenerate it before it naturally dies

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[TreeDaddy]

Smooth Sumac is much the same at my place. Lots of rubbing.

same here

smooth sumac is thicket forming and bucks love to rub this stuff

bill

 

[TreeDaddy]

What does it take to propagate it? Can I gather seed and shove them in the ground? When do I gather seeds? Do seeds need stratified? Started in pots?

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MDC sells bare root smooth sumac and aromatic sumac

Both available now

bill

 

[George]

Deer eat the fruits in winter.

Aromatica is a favorite browse in Iowa.

G

 

[catscratch]

My experience with sumac is that it isn't preferred, but still valuable as a late winter food source because it hasn't been eaten yet. I grow it in my yard as a landscape plant and the birds have just started hitting the seed heads in the last couple of weeks. I view it as another plus for diversity and a hint that "most preferred" isn't always the only option when managing a habitat.

 

[Tap]

Debarking at least some from almost every stand is an annual late winter ritual that kills a lot of sumac stems. Saw the first deer debarked sumac trunk of the season just last week.

Interesting observation cat. Now that you mention it, rubbing of sumac does tend to be a behavior that happens a bit later in the year.
Seems like when all the "normal" species are being rubber hard in Oct/Nov, sumac isn't getting rubbed nearly as much as it is in mid-late winter.

I wonder if sumac rubbing has anything to do with a deer's taste for certain bark. I've watched bucks of all ages in Iowa rub enormous cedar trees and then eat the bark. Is it possible there is some nutritional requirement bucks have in late winter that sumac satisfies?

 

[Chainsaw]

Interesting observation cat. Now that you mention it, rubbing of sumac does tend to be a behavior that happens a bit later in the year.
Seems like when all the "normal" species are being rubber hard in Oct/Nov, sumac isn't getting rubbed nearly as much as it is in mid-late winter.

I wonder if sumac rubbing has anything to do with a deer's taste for certain bark. I've watched bucks of all ages in Iowa rub enormous cedar trees and then eat the bark. Is it possible there is some nutritional requirement bucks have in late winter that sumac satisfies?

We have mostly thought it to be a taste thing as the deer here eat the bark every year regardless of whether or not there is plenty of other food to eat. We presumed it had to do with sap beginning to run. Your picture looks more like rubs whereas here it is definitely teeth marks and actually we have even watched them eat the bark on many occasions from our sun room. And while the bark eating is the end of winter browsing the branches happens at least from fall all the way thru winter.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Deer eat the fruits in winter.

Aromatica is a favorite browse in Iowa.

G

aromatica also a bee and pollinator favorite

bill