Minnesota Sumac

Gordon Louis Mortensen

Gordon Mortensen printed this 1997 reduction color woodcut landscape using 32 colors and 28 separate press runs. The image is of Minnesota fields in winter, covered with a light snow. In the distance the red sumac gives a touch of brilliance to the landscape.

Staghorn sumac is a large treelike shrub native to the eastern edge of Minnesota, Wisconsin and much of southeastern Canada. Tall with an umbrella habit as it matures, stagorn or cutleaf sumac is a great choice for larger, wilder landscapes. Birds love it and the fruits can be used for everything from dyes to lemonade.