October Color

October doesn't get much prettier than this winged sumac.




[It's prettier when you blow it up.  Click to biggify.]

Winged Sumac

We have a bunch of sumac on this place.  We love to soak the berries for a delicious drink. This year we noticed that the Smooth Sumac blooms much earlier than the Winged Sumac. 

This Winged Sumac - Rhus copallina  [also called Shining Sumac] is blooming just now - a bit late.  The Smooth Sumac bloomed in June.

Here's a good shot of the leaves of the Winged Sumac - notice the 'wings' that grow along the twigs between pairs of leaves.   Smooth Sumac leaves don't have that.

We are at the northern edge of its range - looks like it has a Zone 5B winter tolerance.