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!

Best Put Off Until Another Day

  It is usually just about this time of year, I get the notion that I want to clear a bit of the underbrush down by the marsh.  My idea is that this would allow me to view a few more of the critters that live among the marsh grass or dwell in the brackish water that fills the marsh.  Myriads of critters call this place home and with the underbrush filling the entire edge from my brother's property all the way back to the creek, I have a poor view of them.  Not that I want to clear-cut the place nor even remove most of the brush, my efforts would clear small spots that I can use as vantage points.  But, I have been reminded of something that I always used to tell the kids when they were younger.  Son gave me a stern warning that it is the wrong time of year to be traipsing about in the marsh.  Cottonmouth moccasins, snapping turtles and even large spiders are out and about during the warmer months.  "Why didn't we do this during the winter?" he queried.  Well, I did not think of it then! That being settled, I moved to a different spot.  I would clear a new hiking path through the woods to the creek!  Again, a shake of the head and a reminder that the Poison Ivy, Poison Sumac and Poison Oak were pretty thick this time of year.  Well, drats!   I will just have to be satisfied, pushing my lawnmower a bit further into the old path and hope for the best.  All of this is probably just a subconscious way that my brain is trying to get out of canning any more peaches or picking any more blueberries!  

  But!  Speaking of those poisonous plants....I agree about not wanting to mess with them.  Even though I have only had one bout of poison ivy in my life and that was when my immune system was shot by a heart problem, there is just no use in pushing my luck.  Son is like me.  We can handle the stuff with no ill effects.  Hubby, on the other hand, had better steer clear of that sumac!  Just the mere mention of the plant can make him start itching!  He has had bout after bout of allergic rashes brought on by contact with the bushes.  Pop was the same way.  I never knew much about the stuff until Pop cleared some fence lines that were thick with the bushes.  By nightfall, he was in agony.  Mom literally doused him with Calamine lotion until he was a nice rosy pink.  Poor fellow...but he never complained and went about his work as if it was purely natural for him to be matching the roses in his gardens.  It was then that he taught me to recognize the different plants that potentially could cause problems. I guess I was about 5 years old since I had not started school yet.  It was a lot of important stuff for a tyke to learn but I am sure glad he took the time to show me.  Life lessons are sometimes brought about by catastrophic events.  

  There is a small Poison Sumac bush between here and my brother's place. It is in a wide open space and can easily be seen so Mark usually can avoid that area with ease.  I have warned him several times that I plan on leaving the bush simply because I like the way the setting sun makes the bush seem afire in the fall. With the leaves turning red by late September, I can look forward to seeing a bit of blazing color.  However, I am treated to a bit of that glory even in the spring and summer months. In spring, the new leaves start out red and, occasionally, some never fully turn green.  They just stay crimson.  The bush stays, Mark stays clear and I cut the grass from around it.  It is a win/win situation as far as I am concerned.  

  Poison Sumac causes allergic reactions in a lot of folks.  The plant contains a strong  rash-causing agent called urushiol.  Since Poison Sumac is in the same family as Poison Oak and Poison Ivy, they all contain this gunk and while coming in contact with it will give you a nasty rash, breathing the smoke from a burning piece of the plant can cause major problems.  The same rash that may get on your arms gets inside your lungs and creates severe respiratory problems.  So...do not burn any of these three plants!

  Now a tidbit of weird trivia about Poison Sumac!  It is not even kin to the many other types of sumac in the world so do not even think about trying to make the sumac spice from Poison Sumac.  All you will get is a rash not an interesting culinary flavoring to add to your spice rack.

 With all of this mishmash of information about Poison Sumac, I suppose that my ambition will have to be geared to other projects.  Clearing paths and nooks will just have to wait until the weather is not so warm. Snakes, spiders and Poison Sumac rule the day.  I promise not to go mucking about in the marsh or creekbed for a few more months.  I guess I will just pick more blueberries.

(One of) The "Big Three"

The "Big Three"..this equals bad news. In plant talk..the Big Three being a title given to Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac. I have been doing a lot of weeding and clearing of under brush from around the trees in hopes of making the area a bit less of a fire hazard during this drought. The other day, I posted about the Poison Ivy that had literally taken over a pine tree..today, I found Poison Sumac. (Sorry, Hubby! The mere mention of Poison Sumac will have him scratching!) Poison Sumac is a small spindly tree that grows in wet areas around here..which pretty much means it grows anywhere it wants. The creek bed is full of the toxic bush as is the marsh..but the one I found today is a rebel! It is growing on the top of the hill, far from the water's edge. A bird must have "planted" a seed sometime within the past year. That said, the sapling is not faring too well. The drought is taking its toll on this plant as well as those in my garden. The only difference is..I refuse to water the Sumac! Granted it, too, will put on quite a show this fall with its brilliant red leaves. Still, I have no desire to keep it in the yard..the creek bed is near enough for these beauties (or beasties) to make their home.

As I said, Hubby is terribly allergic to the Poison Sumac..so this bush will definitely have to go! The Poison Sumac, Poison Ivy and Poison Oak all have the oily sap called urushiol. This is the stuff that causes all of the damage..the allergic contact dermatitis..the itchy, red, oozy rash. The nasty part of finding out a bit too late that you are highly allergic to these plants. Once again, if you think you have brushed against one of these three..wash the affected area immediately in a .....NON OIL-BASED SOAP. ( Oil-based soap will just spread the sap.) Washing is important as body oils will cause the urushiol to spread all over the place and you wind up looking horrible and feeling worse! This oil can be spread onto tools, furniture, clothing, and well, just about everything. Plus..although it is very rare that our pets will be bothered by these plants, they can transport the oils inside and to us when we handle them. It is best to just destroy the offending plants! (Oh yeah..but definitely not by burning! That will just release the urushiol into the air presenting a whole bunch of new problems!)

On to happier things! This morning, I noticed a bright red spot in the tomato garden that was not there yesterday! Could it be? At first, I thought that perhaps a red leaf from the Black Gum Tree might have fallen into the garden, but...there hanging on the plant was the prettiest bright, red tomato! The first of the season! It looked absolutely luscious! How in the world these plants are surviving..even thriving..in the midst of this drought is beyond me. I am not complaining though! I have a beautiful vine-ripe tomato for my lunch tomorrow! Hubby is not here to claim this one and Son does not eat tomatoes..THIS ONE IS MINE...ALL MINE!!!!