- Melissa Sprenne
- Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Poison Ivy usually has three leaflets ("Leaves of three, let it be"), where the middle leaflet has a longer stem. They can be notched but will have a smooth, non-serrated edge. The plants comes in two forms: low-growing shrub and tree-climbing vine ("Hairy vine, no friend of mine"). In the fall, its leaves turn bright red or orange and its small berries turn white ("Berries of white, best take flight").
Scroll slowly and really look at the photos to see if you can guess whether or not each one is Poison Ivy! Read all the way to the end to find out more information about Poison Ivy.
Is this Poison Ivy?
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It is not! While there are three leaflets, they are heart shaped and connected at their points; the middle leaflet does not have a longer stem. Also, it is too low-growing and does not form a shrub or vine. It does have pretty pink flowers in the spring and each leaflet has a purplish pink edge.
It is Wood Sorrel.
Is this Poison Ivy?
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It is not! While it is a vine, it is not hairy. Also, it has single, simple (smooth-edged oval) leaves. It's flowers, when open, are trumpet-shaped and either white or yellow. Its flowers smell lovely but it is an non-native invasive species that should be removed where possible.
It is Japanese Honeysuckle.
Is this Poison Ivy?
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It is! This is another great example of Poison Ivy, particularly showing how the middle leaflet has a longer stem than the two leaflets behind it. You may also notice that the middle leaflet is symmetrical to itself: if you fold it in half along the middle vein, the sides would match up. However, the back two leaves are symmetrical with each other: if you put one on top of the other, they would match. But if you folded each one in half along its central vein, it would not.
Is this Poison Ivy?
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It is not! This one actually has 5 leaflets with serrated edges and the stems are thorny.
It is Blackberry.
Is this Poison Ivy?
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It is not! While this plant does have three leaves at the ends of its stems, they are simple pointed leaves with no notches. There are also pairs of leaves down the stem. In the fall, the foliage does turn a brilliant red and its berries are also red. This one is another non-native invasive species that should be removed wherever possible.
It is Nandina - also called Heavenly Bamboo.
Is this Poison Ivy?
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It is not! Though it is one that is most often confused with Poison Ivy, this vining plant has five leaflets with serrated edges. In the fall, it does turn red but its berries are blue-black on red stems.
It is Virginia Creeper.
Is this Poison Ivy?
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It is! This is Poison Ivy. "Leaves of three, let it be!"
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) has a bad reputation, but this native plant has its benefits. Its berries are an important winter food source for many birds (Woodpeckers, Cedar Waxwings, Crows, Quail, Warblers, Vireos, and others). Its flowers are important to pollinators. Its vines provide pathways up trees for various reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. The leaves are food for bear, deer, and raccoons and shelter for so many insects, which in turn are fed to young birds by their parents. It has gorgeous red fall foliage and pretty waxy white berries.
And, yes, every part of a Poison Ivy plant is toxic to humans (and some few other primates). Poison Ivy produces a chemical called urushiol. This chemical binds to our skin cells and tricks our immune system into thinking our own skin is a foreign substance, inducing our own bodies to attack our skin cells. This is what produces the characteristic Poison Ivy rash. And every time you are exposed to Poison Ivy, you risk an even more severe reaction.