Smooth Sumac Starting Autumn A Bit Early

August 5, 2026

The calendar page has just turned to August and the Smooth Sumacs (Rhus glabra) are beginning to show that autumn is soon to arrive.

Not all (yet) but some of these long compound leaves are a brilliant scarlet. They’re reacting to the subtle shortening of daylight hours.

A few of the trees around here, including the small tree, Smooth Sumac, begin turning color before many of the others. That makes their color change extra special.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.