Shumac...Sumac...It does not matter. You still itch.

  Growing up on the farm, Pop used to warn us of plants that were "not so nice".  Things like poison ivy, poison oak and "shumac".  Yep. Shumac.  All of my life, I called the small bush with a bad attitude, a shumac tree.  A few years back, I found that it is actually a sumac tree...not a shumac tree.  I pondered why Pop never took the time nor effort to correct himself.  Well, it turns out that he had "hand-me-down" information.  Back in the day, commonsense things were handed down from generation to generation.  Since poison sumac can cause a major rash and, sometimes, respiratory problems, the wise words of "Don't mess with shumac!" slipped from a lot of mouths.  There is no telling how long the word had an added "h" making it "shoo mac" instead of "soo mac".  In fact, all of my uncles and aunts called the plant by the same name.  Perhaps it was more of a local pronunciation as I hear it from other "old-timers" (yes, I fit that category).

  This morning, I made a mental note to grab the snips some time this week and rid the path of a poison sumac bush. The thing sprouted up in a clump of palmettos near the edge of the walking trail.  Not that the bush bothers me as I seem not allergic to the oils but poor Mark starts scratching if he hears the name!  More than once, he has come in contact with the shrub while mowing and suffers for days on end with a horrible rash.  It is best I clip the thing before he gets back on that tractor!

  I have to admit that even though we do not get the beautiful fall colors like our neighbors to the north, we do have sumac trees that try their best.  Even after the leaves fall, the stems stay a lovely red for a number of days.  Couple that red with the unusual shape of the twigs and you know you have fall!  Sumac...fall...about as close as we get!  Just so you will know the oils that make the tree a hazard are even present in the winter.  Urushiol is not only found in the leaves but every part of the tree.  It is best to use care when coming in contact with this bad boy!