Fruit is scarlet and ripens in August or September. Buds are not hairy. Twigs are not as stout and vigorous as the smooth sumac. Twigs are often minutely pubescent. Rachis is winged.
Leaflets have a few teeth, or are nearly entire, and glossy green.
Flowers are greenish and flower in June or July. Fruits are crimson and ripen in September or October. Plant is poisonous to the touch, and grows only in bogs or wet soil. There are seven to 13 leaflets per leaf. Flowers are greenish-yellow and bloom in June or July.