# Is this plant in my yard poison oak, poison ivy or anything else nasty? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586 "2016-04-08T19:12:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Whatever4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@Whatever4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whatever4)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/21 "2016-04-09T02:18:00Z")
Maybe Goat’s Beard? I have a patch in my yard and that was my first thought. But then there’s False Goat’s Beard; very similar. ---
**Author:** ![Wallydraigle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wallydraigle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallydraigle)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/22 "2016-04-10T13:20:49Z")
Could be an astilbe. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/23 "2016-04-10T14:37:34Z")
It’s not poison ivy or relative of same. If it produces small white flowers with 5 pointed or rounded petals and then fruits that resemble blackberries, it is probably a Rubus species. In other words, letting it flower will help with identification. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/24 "2016-04-10T17:22:01Z")
> [@Whatever4](#): > > But then there’s False Goat’s Beard; very similar. > [@Wallydraigle](#): > > Could be an astilbe. I think you may be on to something. One of the distinctive things about the leaves in the OP is the reddish dots on the stem between the leaflets. This is also found in False Goat’s Beard, aka False Spirea, aka _Astilbe._ [Here’s an example.](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8wT2fejpmM8/U7x5TiMl2dI/AAAAAAAAAyU/7lEnrI6Tn2c/s1600/Astilbe_leaves.jpg) Since there are a lot of cultivated varieties, it may not be possible to get it closer than that. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/25 "2016-04-10T17:30:18Z")
I don’t know if that’s a photo from the op’s backyard, but the plant in the photo isn’t poison ivy nor poison oak nor poison sumac nor stinging nettles. It does look like young astibile, but i don’t know that (and its look-alikes) to be sure. I IMG think it’s a rubus, but it might be. I agree that waiting to see its flowers would help to id it. My guess is that it is harmless. If you don’t want it, pull it out. If you were just nervous about it, I’d wait and see what it is. ---
**Author:** ![nansbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nansbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nansbread)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/26 "2016-04-10T17:30:34Z")
Looks like a new crop of stingy nettles to me. If you wait until summer when it gets leggy, we could be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/27 "2016-04-10T17:47:08Z")
> [@nansbread](#): > > Looks like a new crop of stingy nettles to me. If you wait until summer when it gets leggy, we could be sure. As has been said several times already, one thing it is certainly not is nettles. Nettles have simple leaves, and this has compound leaves. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/28 "2016-04-10T17:52:29Z")
Rubus usually has prickles on the stems. Unfortunately the photos in the OP don’t show the stems. Some better photos showing more of the plant would be helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/29 "2016-04-10T18:26:33Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I believe he means the plant in his yard “looks sorta like” some images of poison ivy/oak/sumac he saw. Correct. the pictures I posted were from my yard. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/30 "2016-04-10T18:27:51Z")
> [@Quintas](#): > > Correct. the pictures I posted were from my yard. What are the stems like? Do they have prickles? ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/31 "2016-04-10T18:28:27Z")
> [@somepumpkin](#): > > In what part of the world are these plants growing? South Carolina ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/32 "2016-04-10T19:08:50Z")
I’m thinking Astilbe too. Is it a shady-ish spot? If so you have pretty flowers coming soon. [https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=astilbe%20leaves](https://encrypted.google.com/search?hl=en&q=astilbe%20leaves) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/33 "2016-04-10T19:37:57Z")
Adding to the chorus of “definitely not nettles”. Doesn’t look anything like nettles. I don’t see any thorns, leading me to exclude the most common volunteer Rubus spp. My differential is between Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa) and Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus), and I can never tell the difference between the two until they flower. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/34 "2016-04-10T20:20:05Z")
I’m thinking blackberry. Young plants can have insignificant thorns. There are also “thornless” varieties now. Huzzah. Only way to be sure is wait and watch. OTOH, if you don’t want a random plant next to your house, pull it now. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/35 "2016-04-10T20:25:38Z")
You may want to call [these guys](http://www.clemson.edu/extension/)or the state/county natural resources office and ask for guidance. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/36 "2016-04-10T22:01:58Z")
The second photo in the OP shows some flowers just starting. That looks more like _Rubus_ than Astilbe to me. ETA: but on second look, those might be a different weed pushing through the leaves of this one. The flowers have a different arrangement than the _Rubus_ I’m familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/37 "2016-04-10T22:05:33Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > The second photo in the OP shows some flowers just starting. That looks more like _Rubus_ than Astilbe to me. > > ETA: but on second look, those might be a different weed pushing through the leaves of this one. The flowers have a different arrangement than the _Rubus_ I’m familiar with. Yes, those flowers belong to the small weed to the right of the photo. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/38 "2016-04-11T06:58:45Z")
Have we ruled out the Umbelliferae? I agree it does look like Astilbe, but it does also look a bit like some of the umbellifers with not-so-finely cut leaves - it’s similar to Ground Elder (although clearly is it not actually that plant). The leaves are maybe a little bit too toothed for an umbellifer - I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/39 "2016-04-11T14:07:12Z")
> [@Quintas](#): > > South Carolina You said in a sunny area, right? I saw many of these plants on my dog walk this weekend… they’re sprouting-out all over the place right now. \*\*Colibri \*\*nailed it: [Rubus, spp](https://www.google.com/search?q=Rubus&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj9uava34bMAhUBez4KHVS1AuwQ_AUICCgC&biw=1356&bih=611). \<— google image link. You could check for thorns to confirm. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586/40 "2016-04-11T14:44:08Z")
Rubus is a large and varied genus, so it’s possible. But it doesn’t look like Rubus to me. It looks more like Astibile. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-plant-in-my-yard-poison-oak-poison-ivy-or-anything-else-nasty/751586.md?page=1)