Skunkbush Sumac
Rhus trilobata
Drawn from live specimen found in Maricopa County, Arizona.
LEAVES: Compound leaves have three segments which have rounded lobes.
All the foliage will release pungent resinous terpenes on being crushed or
rubbed against. In autumn, like many sumacs, the deciduous leaves turn a
glorious orange-red. Few people get dermatitis from this plant.
SHRUB: A woody shrub usu. 1 to 3 meters
tall and often forming broad thickets.
RANGE: Skunkbush is really a plant of higher, moister elevations than
typical Sonoran Desert. Deep shady canyons, however, even in some suprisingly
hot locations will have populations of Skunkbush.
FRUIT: Red berries with conspicuous trichomes
and a sticky texture.
FLOWERS: Whitish flowers are arrayed in compact
panicles blooming mostly in spring, but sporadically at other times
of the year.
UNARMED