Looking for an attractive, hardy plant to liven up your garden? Look no further than the Staghorn Sumac. This deciduous shrub to small tree is native to eastern North America and can be found in Southeastern Canada, the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, Southern Ontario, and the Appalachian Mountains. The Staghorn Sumac is an attractive plant, with compound leaves that turn scarlet, orange, and yellow in the fall. It grows in any dryish soil and produces greenish flowers in early summer, followed by fuzzy crimson fruit clusters that last through winter. The seed heads can be used to make a tea with a vaguely raspberry flavor, and the middle of a broad dome-shaped colony would be a fine place to have a picnic. The Staghorn Sumac also has many other uses beyond its ornamental value. The leaves are rich in tannin, up to 48% has been obtained in a controlled plantation, and can be used as a brown dye or as a mordant. The bark, especially the root bark, and the fruits are also very rich in tannin. A yellow dye can be obtained from the roots, and an orange dye from the inner bark and central pith of the stem, mixed with bloodroot. The leaves and fruit can also be boiled to make black ink. The Staghorn Sumac is a hardy plant that can be grown under a wide array of conditions, but is most often found in dry and poor soil. It can be cultivated for ornamental uses or planted for wildlife cover in various ecosystems. Add the Staghorn Sumac to your garden for its beauty and versatility.