In spring, yellow-green flowers appear before leaves on the low irregular-spreading shrub. The lower branches grow horizontally but turn up at the tip. In August to September, clusters of fuzzy red fruit form on female plants. The fruit may persist into winter and is an important food source for mammals and birds. In the fall, the leaves turn a bright red-purple. Like other sumacs, this shrub forms dense stands and tends to sucker from stems that touch the soil. An excellent choice for conservation plantings such as quail covey headquarters.