I hear ya...I had one of these in my backyard. One of its babies keeps coming back, defiantly, on the side of my house, like something out of a horror film. And the tree itself was so messy when it would drop its litter. Yuk. Ruined the pretty rock in my backyard!

Anyhow, I think the only solution is to call a tree and stump removal contractor. You really need to remove the stump completely otherwise it will try to come back. I was happy with Integrity Tree Service, who did mine for about $300 and change...if I recall correctly (including both tree removal and stump).

When they removed mine, I couldn't get over how deep and thick the roots were...it must've been a very mature tree, although I think judging by the upside, it seemed 'medium-sized'.

Anyhow, good luck with whatever you end up doing.

Thanks. I have a bunch of huge, dead pines and palms so this number will come in handy.

African Sumacs are highly susceptible to Texas (Cotton) Root Rot, hehehe. You could dig a few holes around each tree and refill with diseased dirt.

On second thought, that might cause other problems.