HotM – Smooth Sumac

Hello again. I’ve been horrible at posting regularly, but I am working on getting better! And in doing so, I decided to start featuring an “Herb of the Month (HotM)”. Each month, I will select an herb to be the star of the show, and for October 2026, I chose Smooth Sumac.

Oftentimes, people hear the word “Sumac” and instantly think of Poison Sumac, a relative of Poison Ivy and Poison Oak, that typically causes an itchy rash. However, Smooth Sumac is quite different. It has many medicinal benefits without the nasty, itchy bumps. It is actually quite easy to tell the difference between Smooth Sumac and Poison Sumac: the berries, the leaves, and where it’s growing.

• Berries – Smooth Sumac has clusters of fuzzy, bright red berries whereas Poison Sumac has clusters of smooth white/grey ones.
• Leaves -Smooth Sumac has abt 10-30 leaflets per leaf that are serrated, and Poison Sumac only has 7-15 leaflets per leaf that are smooth.
• Habitat – Smooth Sumac typically grows in dry, open areas and along roadsides, but Poison Sumac prefers the wet, swampy soil.

So if you’ve read my previous posts, you know that the Smooth Sumac growing in my yard was a No-Go this year. The heat dome and drought this summer has been brutal on almost all of my botanicals. However, I do have friends and acquaintances that are also chemical-free on their homestead or property. They are all big supporters of me and what I’m doing, so a few of them have allowed me to harvest from their land…including Smooth Sumac.

Why this herb? Why this month? Well, October is typically a cooling-down month for Oklahoma. This is the month that the autumn botanicals start strutting their stuff. Smooth Sumac is one of those herbs as the berries turn into a bright, red cluster of goodness! Also, I have my own personal reasons for choosing this specific herb. I am a diabetic and have been since I was a kid, along with a variety of autoimmune diseases that cause inflammation throughout my body. Smooth Sumac helps me!

~ Ang ✌️♥️