Alternate name: Eastern Poison Ivy

Family: Anacardiaceae, Cashew view all from this family

Description Upright, climbing, or trailing shrub that bears small yellowish-white flower clusters; old stems, covered with fibrous roots, look hairy.
Flowers: 1/8” (3 mm) wide, in loose clusters 1—3” (2.5—7.5 cm) long at lower leaf axils; May—July.
Leaves: compound, divided into 3 glossy or dull green leaflets, each 2—4” (5—10 cm) long.
Fruit: to 1/4” (6 mm) wide, clustered, white, berrylike; August—November, persisting through winter.
Height: variable.

Warning All parts of this plant contain volatile oil that can cause severe skin inflammation, itching, and blistering on direct contact or if borne by sooty smoke. Washing thoroughly with soap or swabbing with alcohol immediately on exposure removes the oil irritant. The berries are poisonous if eaten.

Habitat Open woods, thickets, fence rows, roadsides, and waste places.

Range Throughout the East; Ontario east to Nova Scotia, south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to South Dakota and Minnesota.

Discussion Poison Ivy is extremely variable in form, occurring as a ground cover along roadsides, an erect shrub (especially in sandy coastal areas), or a large vine on trees. Red fall foliage is especially conspicuous.