Alternate name: Lemonade Sumac

Family: Anacardiaceae, Cashew view all from this family

Description Evergreen, aromatic, rounded, thicket-forming shrub; rarely a small tree with a short, stout trunk and many branches.
Height: 20' (6 m).
Diameter: 8" (20 cm).
Leaves: evergreen; 1-2 1/2" (2.5-6 cm) long, 3/4-1 1/2" (2-4 cm) wide. Elliptical, mostly without teeth or with short, sharp teeth, sometimes with 1-2 lobes at base or rarely with 3 leaflets; thick and stiff, nearly hairless. Shiny dark green above, paler with raised veins beneath.
Bark: reddish-brown, shedding in large plates or scales.
Twigs: reddish, stout, finely hairy.
Flowers: 1/4" (6 mm) wide; with 5 pink to white petals; many crowded in much-branched clusters 1-3" (2.5-7.5 cm) long; upright at end of twig; mainly in late winter and early spring. Male and female usually on different plants.
Fruit: 1/2" (12 mm) long; elliptical, berrylike, flattened, sour, dark red, densely hairy, covered with whitish secretion, resinous and sticky 1-seeded; maturing in summer.

Habitat Dry, sandy and rocky soils of beaches, ocean bluffs, and canyons; in coastal sage scrub and chaparral.

Range Coastal S. California including islands; also Baja California; to 2500' (762 m).

Discussion As the common name implies, a sour, refreshing drink can be made from the acid fruit. The scientific name means "leaf entire" or "without teeth"; however, a variation has spiny-toothed leaves. The fruit is consumed by roadrunners and other birds.