Rhus coriaria, commonly called Sicilian sumac,[3] tanner's sumach,[4] or elm-leaved sumach, is a deciduous shrub to small tree in the cashew family Anacardiaceae.

The word originally comes from Hebrew סמק, then through the Aramaic summāqā 'red', via Arabic, Latin, and French.

It is traditionally used and also clinically investigated for lipid lowering effects.

[10] The leaves and the bark were traditionally used in leather tanning and contain tannic acid.

Dyes of various colours, red, yellow, black, and brown, can be made from different parts of the plant.