Sicilian sumac, sometimes known as tanner's sumac, is a large bush with a milky sap. In favorable conditions, it can reach 18 feet in height. Its large pinnate leaves show its relationship to the decorative, North American species, Rhus typhina L., that has been introduced to Europe . The small flowers, which grow in a few small clusters, develop into dark red, hairy berries. Southeastern Europe, around the Mediterranean, in the eastern Black Sea region, and farther east to China.Historical Data
Sicilian sumac has been used since antiquity more for tanning than for dyeing. On cotton, lightfast dyes with sumac can have different colours: madder red or dyer's-weed yellow. The red berries have a vinegary flavor and are used in Turkey as a spice.On an alum mordant, yellow from the bark, leaves and shoots; on a ferrous mordant, grey to black from the leaves and shoots.
