# Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)

> Poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans: a plant of 1 to 60 feet for zones 4 to 10, when it flowers and fruits, the natives it is mistaken for, and how to handle it.

Blue Whale Trees, a native tree nursery in the United States. Web version: https://bluewhaletrees.com/species/poison-ivy/

![Poison ivy growing up a rough trunk, its leaves each made of three pointed leaflets](https://bluewhaletrees.com/img/species/poison-ivy-1000.jpg?v=1be85d9d "Poison ivy climbing a trunk on May 27, 2007. Its end leaflet stands on a longer stalk than the two beside it, which sets it apart from fragrant sumac.")
*Photo: James St. John, [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) ([source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AToxicodendron_radicans_(poison_ivy)_2_(49046043216).jpg))*

Shrub, 1 to 60 feet, zones 4 to 10; full sun, part shade or shade; dry, average or wet ground.

We do not grow poison ivy, and it is not in our shop. This page is for telling it from the natives we grow.

## At a glance

| Fact | Poison Ivy |
| --- | --- |
| Other names | Eastern poison ivy, common poison ivy |
| Form | Shrub |
| Height, feet | 1 to 60 |
| Spread, feet | Up to 10 |
| Zones | 4 to 10 |
| Sun | Full sun, part shade or shade |
| Soil moisture | Dry, average or wet ground |
| Growth | Fast |
| Leaves | Deciduous |
| Traits | Fall color, wildlife value |
| Flowers | March to July |
| Fruit | Drupes, July to January |
| First crop | 3 years |
| Pollination | Poison ivy has male and female plants, and only the females bear the whitish fruit. |
| Black walnut | Not named on the Morton Arboretum's lists |
| Toxicity | The leaves, stems, roots, flowers and fruit are poisonous to people, but not to most pets, wildlife and livestock. |
| Ground | Floodplain forests, stream banks, dry uplands, the forest understory, swamps and wet flats, old fields and edges |
| Native in | 37 states and the District of Columbia |

Poison ivy is native in 37 states and the District of Columbia: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. The states are the USDA PLANTS Database's records.

## Often mistaken for

[Fragrant sumac](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/fragrant-sumac/index.html.md) also has leaves of three leaflets, but its end leaflet has no long stalk of its own, and its berries are red and fuzzy. Poison ivy's end leaflet stands on a stalk of half an inch or more, and its berries are whitish and waxy. Fragrant sumac never climbs, while poison ivy often does.

[Boxelder](https://bluewhaletrees.com/species/boxelder/index.html.md) seedlings carry leaves of three to seven leaflets, and young ash seedlings can look much the same. Both grow their leaves in opposite pairs on the stem, while poison ivy's leaves alternate along it.

[Virginia creeper](https://bluewhaletrees.com/plants/virginia-creeper/index.html.md) climbs like poison ivy, but its leaves usually have five leaflets spread like a hand, and its berries are dark blue or purple. Its seedlings and newly opened leaves may show only three leaflets.

Raspberries and blackberries may carry three leaflets or more on a leaf, but their stems are spiny, where poison ivy's woody stems are hairy or smooth.

Hog peanut carries three leaflets with smooth edges on a weak stem. Poison ivy's stems are woody, and its leaflets may be smooth, toothed or lobed.

[Atlantic poison oak](https://bluewhaletrees.com/species/atlantic-poison-oak/index.html.md) is a close relative that carries the same oil. It never climbs or grows aerial roots, its three leaflets have rounded lobes like an oak leaf, and its leaves are hairy on both sides.

Jack-in-the-pulpit and wild strawberry carry three leaflets with no stalks of their own, while poison ivy's end leaflet has one. Virgin's bower grows its leaves in opposite pairs, with stalks on the side leaflets too. Wild sarsaparilla holds three leaves at the top of its stem, each with three to seven leaflets.

Our article on [poison ivy and the native plants that look like it](https://bluewhaletrees.com/articles/poison-ivy-and-its-native-look-alikes/index.html.md) sets them side by side.

## Handling

Every part of poison ivy, roots included, carries urushiol, an oil that gives most people an itchy rash with blisters. The oil clings to tools, gloves and clothing and stays active on them for months, and sometimes for years, until washed off. Most pets are not bothered by it, but the oil on their fur can give a rash to the person who pets them. Dead plants and roots can still cause a rash for a couple of years. Never burn it, since breathing the smoke can cause severe lung problems. Wear long sleeves, long pants, boots and gloves around it. After contact, wash your skin with soap and cool water as soon as you can, and wash clothing, tools and pets too.

## Read from

Its figures come from the Forest Service's Fire Effects Information System, the Woody Plant Seed Manual, the USDA PLANTS Database, NC State Extension, Virginia Tech's dendrology site, the Morton Arboretum, the Wildflower Center, the Missouri Department of Conservation, the University of Maryland Extension, the US Food and Drug Administration, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension and Clemson Cooperative Extension.