# Friend or foe?



## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Found this sprouted in one of my pots of peppers while picking them. Saw something similar near the woodpile. Best I can tell it's some kind of sumac but I'm just not sure. Located in northeastern New Jersey. The shinyness creeped me out. LOL


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## sustainabilly (Jun 20, 2012)

Here's a link that may help you, Leslie.

http://askanaturalist.com/how-do-you-identify-poison-sumac/

Being small, it may not have the requisite number of leaflets to ID it yet. Check for serrated edges and leafstalk color. Poison has smooth edged leaflets and the leaflet stalk is often reddish.

In any case, it's not a pepper, so pull it with gloves on to be safe.

ETA: Check the surrounding trees in your neighborhood. Might be, it's a seedling of one and not sumac either.


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## Badger (Jun 11, 2010)

Crush a leaf and smell - Looks like Tree of Heaven to me.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Badger said:


> Crush a leaf and smell - Looks like Tree of Heaven to me.


Tree of Haven is Sumac????

Tommyice, we get a lot of seedlings like that here and I thought it might be locust seedlings


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Tree of Heaven isn't really a sumac, it just looks like it, kinda, sorta. I think this one is Tree of Heaven and not Staghorn Sumac. The way to tell is to rub and sniff a leaf. Tree of Heaven STINKS!


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## Tommyice (Dec 5, 2010)

Not gonna smell it (especially with the potential to stink to high heaven LOL). Just gonna pull and put in the town's garden debris pick up pile. 

Thanks everyone!


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