Many experienced gardeners want to try something unusual, experiment with their backyard, various exotic plants are ideal for this purpose, which stand out from other trees and bushes with their originality and unusual look. That is why so often in the gardens you can see one overseas curiosity, which people are happy to choose, knowing about the external features of the sumac. The tree grows in different climatic conditions, so it is impossible to accurately determine its homeland. In nature, there are about 150 plant species. The closest relatives are pistachio and mango trees.
Sumac is also called the vinegar tree, the reason lies in the unusual taste of its leaves. In many countries, the plant is used as a condiment. The preparation of sauces and dressings does not take place without the help of sumac. The tree produces excellent fruits used in Central Asian cuisine. There are many recipes for marinating, salad dressings, spice is often added to cereals, replacing vinegar and lemon with it. Sumac is also compared to dried pomegranate, but, unlike the latter, it does not have a pronounced bitterness and is much more sour.
On favorable soil, the tree can grow up to 10 m in height. By appearanceit resembles a multi-stemmed palm, and horizontal shoots with pinnately compound leaves look like deer antlers. Sumac leaves are distinguished by magnificent relief, velvety and dark green color in summer. The tree does not lose its beauty and decorative effect in the fall, it shimmers with scarlet, purple and orange hues, attracting attention to itself. In winter, the plant is decorated with bright red clusters of berries.
Having enough space in the garden is very important for sumac. The tree spreads a huge amount of growth in a short time, which is a significant problem for gardeners, since it is very difficult to deal with this. The dioeciousness of the plant should be taken into account and planted next to male and female sumac. Fruits appear only on the second. Our gardeners most often purchase the vinegar tree, but there are other widespread varieties. Some of them are used as spices, but there are also very dangerous species that emit toxic substances that cause burns on contact.
On the North American continent, sumac grows on stony dry soils. The tree, whose photo won the hearts of many gardeners, loves warm, sunny and wind-protected areas. The plant is not capricious and frost-resistant, at low temperatures the shoots can freeze slightly, but in the warm period they recover quickly enough. For the winter, it does not hurt to mulch the root system with peat, dry leaves, it is recommended to put dry branches that would trap snow.
Sumach is undemanding to the soil. Acetic tree tolerates drought well, but does not tolerate waterlogging, so it needs good drainage. The plant actively forms a shoot that has the ability to spread over long distances, so gardeners often declare war on it, but they do not dare to get rid of the sumac itself, because there is little to compare with its beauty.
