Sumac

Sumac, common name for trees, shrubs, and vines (genus Rhus) with resinous, sometimes bitter sap. Members of the group include the staghorn sumac, used by Native Americans to make an acidic but pleasant drink, and the Sicilian sumac, whose bark is used for tanning leather. Sumacs, however, are often poisonous: poison oak, poison sumac, and poison ivy. They can be recognized by their white or gray berries.