Winged Sumac: Identifying Characteristics
Habitat:
Winged sumac is found in dry woods, sandhills, roadsides, abandoned fields, and disturbed areas.
Size/Form:
Winged sumac is a small tree reaching a height of 20' to 26' and has a spreading crown reaching about 10' wide. The crown is open to irregular with crooked and spreading branches.
Bark:
The bark is reddish.
Leaves:
The leaves are alternate, deciduous, pinnately compound, about 6" to 12" long with 9-23 leaflets. Each leaflet is ovate in shape and up to 4" long. The rachis is winged between the leaflets in young trees only. Stems and twigs are densely pubescent.
Fruit:
Small red pubescent drupes hang in clusters.The fruits appear in fall and persist through much of the winter even after the leaves have fallen.