Sumac galls have ancient association - The Hardwick Gazette

Sumac galls have ancient association - The Hardwick Gazette

MILLBROOK, N.Y. – The staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) is a ubiquitous shrub of human-impacted northeastern habitats. Sumac stands occur along most highways and county roads, as well as in disturbed areas and abandoned fields transitioning to shrubland. With the onset of late summer’s cooler nighttime temperatures and shorter days, staghorn sumacs are among the first leafy plants to lose chlorophyll from their cells. The breakdown of this pigment t…