Fireworks All Season Long

Commence eye rolling if you are an expert on shrubs as I am about to take up in the same instance two completely unrelated natives and somehow figure out how to tie them in together. My inspiration for doing so is nothing more than both the Staghorn sumac and the American witch-hazel caught my eye this week. The witch-hazel is growing near the end of my driveway (though typically found in the shady under story) and the sumac is growing on the edge of a sunny hay field here in Vernon.

On the Fourth of July, we  attended a fireworks display at my mom's park where the intensity of the display was such that it exhausted my senses.  The number and magnitude of bursting lights made it nearly impossible to enjoy each individual firework and I was somewhat relieved when the grand finale was over.  Sometimes I feel that same way in the spring when all of the yards in Vernon are ablaze with crabapple, forsythia, purple lilacs and rhododendrons. Neighborhoods are so saturated with color that the cooling peace of the long white winter can feel desirable.  The trouble with gardening in southern Vermont is that after the spring rainbows are overtaken by the heat of summer all of the colors fade into green lawns and leaves. Call me picky; but this is the time of the year that I often find myself at a nursery in search of  shrubs that bloom when most people are fleeing their yards for cool brooks and lakes.

It was on a hot day much like today that I selected my witch hazel shrub for its label which stated that it is the last shrub to bloom in the fall - how intriguing! I have not been disappointed with its celebratory, wrinkly, ribbon like blooms that open after most of its leaves have dropped. How wonderful that I could begin my growing season with yellow forsythia and end it with yellow witch hazel! Since its  planting, I haven't had to give the shrub much thought as it is native and hardy, so it was odd that I happened to wander over to it and found that for the first time it had seed pods. I already  knew that witch hazel is traditionally used for making astringent and treating various skin irritations and I  found many sites including Web MD, that list additional medicinal uses for it. I am including a link that shows how to prepare an indigenous tea made from its bark, twigs and leaves.  But it was when I was researching its exploding seeds (yes I said exploding) that I learned a bit of history on a US Forest Service site. It seems that witch hazel got its name from Europeans who observed the indigenous peoples of our area using the shrub's twigs as divining rods. So if your well ever gives out, please feel free to take a twig from my shrub to help you find underground water.

 A shrub stopped me in my tracks while on my morning walk today.  Though I find its leaves to be enchanting, almost fairy like, dancing on warm gentle breezes, it wasn't its graceful form that caught my eye. Who could possibly ignore the flaming red, torch like berry clusters at the tips of the Staghorn sumac? It seems this summer is slipping past faster than I had thought and its vibrancy shocked me into counting the remaining days until the start of the school year. Thirty days and some change to be exact. I have always loved this native; but I have kept it at a distance because it makes me itch. I never knew why I reacted to it until our school's artist in residence Judy Dow took our class on a walk. Ms. Dow mentioned that sumac is in the cashew family and that a tea could be made out of the fruit that tastes like lemonade. Here is the lemonade tea recipe  which when prepared correctly contains vitamin C.  I have nut allergies so it is probably a good thing that I have never tried it! Interestingly, I found that like witch hazel, sumac can also be used to make traditional treatments like astringents. Here is a resource that lists some of the Native American uses for sumac. A quick internet search brought up more uses than I have room for here, so I encourage you to explore.

So what do these two seemingly different shrubs have in common? Though they are both found growing in very different sites and they really look nothing alike, in my estimation they provide us with a native celebration of color, food and tradition during the season of green.

Fuzz covered red berries on Staghorn sumac

American witch hazel seed pods explode shooting seeds 30 feet away from the shrub

Staghorn sumac leaf

American witch hazel leaf

Staghorn sumac twig

American witch hazel twig

Disclaimer: I am not a healer of any stretch of the imagination. Any medication can be toxic even natural forms rendered from plants, shrubs, flowers and trees. Please do not consume witch hazel or sumac without first checking with your doctor. However, do enjoy their festive displays of colors after the spring blooms have faded. - Norma Manning