# Does anyone know the name of this flowering tree / bush?



## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

It looks similar to Devils walking stick, does it mhave a very thorny stem?
Johno


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## dddillon (Jun 6, 2017)

Could it be Red Sumac? (Scarlet Sumac)

I plugged this image into the app PlantNet. This is a wonderful app where you take a picture of what your trying to find and it does a compare of other images in the database and gives you a selection of possible matches. Really pretty good.


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## bfirek (Apr 16, 2011)

johno said:


> It looks similar to Devils walking stick, does it mhave a very thorny stem?
> Johno


Hey Johno,

The stem is smooth but you've helped me identify another "tree" in my small wooded lot, Devil's walking stick. I accidentally grabbed hold of one as I was waking and not looking and YIKES!!! I'll never do that again. I was going to cut them down until I saw a ton of butterflies around the flowers at the top. Mine must be pretty old because they are a good 15 to 20 feet tall. I've attached a picture of what the stem looks like. 

Thanks for getting back to me.

Best Regards,

Bob


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## bfirek (Apr 16, 2011)

dddillon said:


> Could it be Red Sumac? (Scarlet Sumac)
> 
> I plugged this image into the app PlantNet. This is a wonderful app where you take a picture of what your trying to find and it does a compare of other images in the database and gives you a selection of possible matches. Really pretty good.


Hello dddillon,

Thanks for the tip about PlantNet. I'm going to download it today. I run across a lot of flowers and plants and this app sounds like it will be a big help. You know now that you mentioned Sumac my memory reaches back to my Boy Scouts days when we would identify flowering sumac and make tea out of it. I never made tea out of the stuff. At that age if it wasn't a Lipton tea bag I wasn't drinking it. Now I wonder. The flowers give off a very sweet aroma. If the bees didn't love it so much I'd be tempted to cut a bunch and make tea. I

Thanks again for the PlantNet app tip.

Best Regards,

Bob


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

The photo is smooth sumac, which is blooming like crazy right now in southeastern VA.

Devil's Walking stick is also in bloom now, but the flower cluster is a bit more "open" and more "white" in color.


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## bfirek (Apr 16, 2011)

Hello ruthiesbees,

It sounds like you know your flowers! Thanks for verifying that the plant is sumac. Lost of other flowers in bloom, in my field in SW Suffolk, with little bee activity. This one caught my attention because of all of the activity. The goldenrod (or what I think is goldenrod) is coming on strong but I'm not seeing much activity. Also if you don't mind me asking, since you're located in Isle of Wight have you ever seen honeybees working peanut flowers? The reason I ask is that the farmer next to my field planted peanuts this year. I've read that honey bees will work the flowers for nectar. It would be nice if the bees had another nectar source but I'm also afraid of spraying. The peanut flowers are just starting to come in but so far I haven't seen any activity of them.

Thanks again for your help,

Best Regards,

Bob


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

bfirek said:


> Hello ruthiesbees,
> 
> since you're located in Isle of Wight have you ever seen honeybees working peanut flowers? The reason I ask is that the farmer next to my field planted peanuts this year. I've read that honey bees will work the flowers for nectar. It would be nice if the bees had another nectar source but I'm also afraid of spraying. The peanut flowers are just starting to come in but so far I haven't seen any activity of them.


I have not heard from any fellow club members that their bees are working the peanuts. I'm in Smithfield proper and so far, the farmers near town are only planting corn, cotton or soybean (and crimson clover in spring) so I don't have personal experience with peanut blossoms and honey bees. I'd say if you are anywhere close to cotton, they are working it hard. All my big hives are full with open nectar, haven't had to feed them at all this summer.


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## D-man (Dec 3, 2014)

It is sumac, however this is winged sumac. Notice the "wings" between the leaves.


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