Staghorn sumac can be growing on the sides of roads and on the edges of woods. In the fall you can really see it when the red berry clusters come out.

Sumac has been used as a culinary spice and for medicine for thousands of years. The sumac seeds are used in making the Middle Eastern spice zaatar, which goes well on many dishes, even eggs.

Native Americans used sumac to make a kind of beer because of its fragrance and flavor.

Medicinally, sumac helps with:

• heart disease
• lowers blood cholestoral
• lowers blood pressure
• stabilizes blood sugars
• diabetes
• reduces bone loss
• supports the immune system
• urinary difficulties
• osteoporosis
• kidney infections
• diarrhea

I forage for this plant in central MN.

I use the folk method for making all my tinctures, which uses no measurements except sizing things up with your eyes. So I put the plant material in a jar and then fill with alcohol.

Dosages -

Dosages for children are not provided in most herbals. To determine the correct dose you need to consider the size of the child, the ailment, the power of the herb you intend to use, and the adult dosage.

Young's Rule for determining dosage uses the child's age divided by twelve plus the age. The dosage for a 4 year old: 4/12+4 = 4/16 = 1/4 of the adult dose.