Females form a dense downy head about 4-8 inches long while males form larger looser clusters. The fruit of the sumac tree grows in compact, erect, conical clusters. The seedheads are furry, mature in late autumn, and persist through winter. The fruit gets darker with the colder weather and turns dark red by spring. The staghorn sumac fruit provides a valuable winter food source for birds.
Deer browse the twigs and leaves, rabbits eat the bark, and honeybees are attracted to the flowers.
The sumac provides valuable cover and nesting sites for wildlife. The bark and especially the roots are rich in tannin and is harvested for tanning leather. The sumac is good for erosion control as it grows vegetatively and forms fast growing colonies. The site is pie shaped and measures approximately 16' by 24'. This sumac cluster receives full sun all day.