Sumac

Buy Sumac

Scientific Name:  Rhus glabra / Rhus trilobata
*Easily identified in autumn by its bright red compound leaves and cluster of fuzzy red berries in a cone shape.  Don’t confuse this sumac with poisonous sumac, which has white berries and grows in wetlands. 


Parts Used:  Berries, Bark, Leaves



Cautions:

• None reported

Healing Properties

• Native Americans used sumac to treat fevers, colds and scurvy.  They also reportedly mixed the berries with clay to make a salve for use on open wounds.  
• Also shown to help with diarrhea, dysentery, infections, sore throats, asthma, diabetes, urinary tract infections and cold sores.
• Used in the south to cool the body in extreme heat. 

How to Use: 

• Suck on the fresh berries (the fuzzy coating make them unpleasant to actually eat - so just suck on them for awhile and then spit out). 
• Use the ground dried herb as spice/topping for food.
• Can be taken in store-bought capsule or extract form.
• Tea/Infusion (best consumed immediately, but can be stored in the fridge for up to 48 hours):
  • Bring 2 cups water to a boil.  Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.  Pour over 2 cones of the berries..  Mash a little with a spoon to bruise the berries (but not too hard, you don't want to crack the seeds inside). Let steep for 5-10 minutes. Drain & drink.
  • Cover 1 Tablespoon dried herb (leaves and/or blooms) with boiling water.  Let steep for 5-10 minutes. Drain & drink.
  • Can chill in the refrigerator to make and "iced" tea out of it.  Or rub the berries between your hands, lightly bruising them, and add to a glass container. Cover with cold water and allow to steep for 1 hour in the fridge.  Strain it through a fine sieve or several layers of cheesecloth. 
• Syrup (Can be stored longer - up to 2 weeks in the fridge, or frozen indefinitely): 
  • Make 2 cups of the tea.  Add to cast iron or stainless-steel pan.  Add 2 cups sugar or honey and heat the mixture on med-low heat until the sugar/honey is dissolved and it thickens into a light syrup.  Remove from heat and let it cool.  Store in a glass bottle (cork top, not screw, because syrups can ferment and explode if sealed too tightly).  Take in 1-2 teaspoon doses every 3-4 hours. 
• Tincture (Can be stored longer - generally last for 2+ years and some say potency increases with age):
  • Add 2 cups water to 1 quart of vodka or rum that is approximately 37.5% alcohol).  Put this in a clean bottle, clearly labeled (not all will be used for the tincture and you can use the remaining for additional batches).  Put 1/4 pound of dried leaves and/or blooms (or 3/4 pound fresh) into a large wide-mouthed glass jar.  Add 2 cups of the diluted alcohol mixture to the jar, screw lid on tight and shake well.  Leave jar in a cool dark place for 2 weeks, shaking well every couple of days.  After 2 weeks, strain the mixture and store the liquid in a clean, dark glass bottle.  Add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon tincture to juice or warm water  3-4 times daily.  
• Ointments/Creams: 
  • Ointment (use when needing to protect and seal the skin):  Melt 1/2 pound lard or vaseline in a saucepan over very low heat.  Add 3 Tablespoons of dried herb and stir well.  Heat for about 2 hours or until herb is starting to get crispy. Strain into glass ointment jars and store in a cool dry place.  This should last about a year if all equipment is clean/sterile.
  • Cream (use when you want the mixture absorbed by the skin):  Use a large double boiler.  Fill lower pan with water and put 1.5 Tablespoons white beeswax and 1.5 Tablespoons anhydrous lanolin into the top pan.  Heat until melted and add 1/2 cup of base oil (sunflower or similar), 6 Tablespoons water and 2 Tablespoons glycerol.  Heat until fully melted again.  Add 3 Tablespoons dried herb and heat for at least 3 hours (check water level of bottom pan often and add boiling water as needed). After 3 hours, pour the hot mixture through a strainer (quickly, as it will begin to re-solidify).  Stir cream gently until it cools.  Store in small dark glass jars and use as needed.  This should last about a year if all equipment is clean/sterile. 
• Oil Infusions (Can be stored longer - generally will last for at least a year, often longer): 
  • Cold Infusion: Pack a medium sized jar with dried or fresh herb (1 inch from the top).  Cover herb with safflower or walnut oil.  Leave the jar in a sunny indoor location for at least 3 weeks.  Strain the mixture and repeat process again using more herb and the oil from the first infusion.  Leave it in a sunny indoor location again for an additional 2-3 weeks.  Strain the oil again, place in glass bottles and store in a cool dark place. 
• Compress: Soak a cotton ball or gauze in hot tea/infusion or tincture (4 teaspoons tincture to 2 cups hot water) and apply to area affected.  Note: it may be beneficial to use a cold compress instead, for some types of headaches for example).  

Harvest/Grow Yourself:

• Buy Sumac Seeds
• Harvest in autumn when berries are red & fuzzy.  The cones can be stored for months if kept in a paper bag, stored in a cool/dry place.    
• Hardy in most zones.
• Average, well-drained soil. 
• Full sun or part shade. 

*I am not a doctor.  The information on this platform is not a claim to treat, cure, prevent or diagnose any illness.  These remedies are intended to aid the healing process within your body (in correlation with existing traditional treatments).  Please talk to your family doctor before trying any natural remedies (especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or on prescription medication).  ​