# This is poison ivy right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 26, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714 "2014-06-26T17:53:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/1 "2014-06-26T17:53:14Z")
[Right](http://oi62.tinypic.com/vdl7rr.jpg)? I mean, if I saw this in the woods I’d give it a wide berth. But it’s placement makes my doubt my certainty. Any possibility it’s something else? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/2 "2014-06-26T18:11:39Z")
Sure looks like it. I’ve seen plenty of poison ivy along fences. It will grow pretty much anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/3 "2014-06-26T18:20:10Z")
Hard to completely certain from that picture but yes, you might want to treat it as such. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/4 "2014-06-26T18:22:59Z")
The leaves appear to have the waxy appearance I always associate with poison ivy. “Leaves of three, leave it be” ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/5 "2014-06-26T18:24:56Z")
The edges of the leaves don’t look right. compare to this photo. The edges are smooth. [![](http://www.cirrusimage.com/Trees/Anacardiaceae/poison_ivy_77.jpg) ](http://www.cirrusimage.com/Trees/Anacardiaceae/poison_ivy_77.jpg) I’d be cautious but it may be another type of vine. Get your Round Up and spray. You don’t want that vine spreading. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/6 "2014-06-26T18:32:33Z")
Your profile says you’re in Seattle. If that’s where this plant is, it’s definitely not poison ivy, which does not occur east of the Rockies. It does, however, look an awful lot like poison oak, which would explain why the leaf margins are not smooth. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/7 "2014-06-26T18:34:03Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Sure looks like it. I’ve seen plenty of poison ivy along fences. It will grow pretty much anywhere. Yes, the fence isn’t what threw me off. It’s the fact that it’s in a high traffic area in a suburban back yard, and is obviously not a seedling but a perennial plant. But of course to be safe I’m going to don some plastic and get it out of there. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/8 "2014-06-26T18:35:03Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > Your profile says you’re in Seattle. If that’s where this plant is, it’s definitely not poison ivy, which does not occur east of the Rockies. > > It does, however, look an awful lot like poison oak, which would explain why the leaf margins are not smooth. Sorry, it’s at my sister’s house in the NW suburbs of Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/9 "2014-06-26T18:35:09Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > Your profile says you’re in Seattle. If that’s where this plant is, it’s definitely not poison ivy, which does not occur east of the Rockies. Do you mean ‘west of the Rockies’? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/10 "2014-06-26T18:37:32Z")
Twoflower is correct. poison oak has the more oval, rounded and jagged edges. poison ivy is narrower/pointier and usually smooth edged. [![](http://afarmhousereborn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/poisonivy.jpg) ](http://afarmhousereborn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/poisonivy.jpg) A lot of people aren’t allergic to poison oak. My dad never was. A lot of people asked him to cut poison oak out of their yards. He cleared out a patch in my yard. 78 years old and never any reaction to it. He had been exposed dozens of times throughout his life. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/11 "2014-06-26T18:37:44Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The edges of the leaves don’t look right. > > compare to this photo. The edges are smooth. > [http://www.cirrusimage.com/Trees/Anacardiaceae/poison\_ivy\_77.jpg](http://www.cirrusimage.com/Trees/Anacardiaceae/poison_ivy_77.jpg) > > I’d be cautious but it may be another type of vine. Get your Round Up and spray. You don’t want that vine spreading. According to [this](http://local.garden.org/Poison_Ivy_Seattle_WA-r1216534-Seattle_WA.html), it does exist in Seattle. And, looking on the internet, there seems to be a lot of poison ivy that does not have the smooth edges, nor quite the appearance of poison oak. Also, [look at the CDC](http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/plants/) website. Or [here is the Missouri poison ivy page](http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/weeds/poison-ivy.aspx), where it shows pictures of poison ivy with notched edges. ETA: Regardless, it looks like the picture is from Chicago. I don’t think I’ve ever seen poison oak here, but the CDC website does show that Illinois is just in its range, although it’s typically found in the South. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/12 "2014-06-26T18:37:56Z")
My vote is for [poison oak](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_diversilobum), which can have relatively smooth leaves. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/13 "2014-06-26T18:39:46Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Twoflower is correct. poison oak has the jagged edges. > [http://afarmhousereborn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/poisonivy.jpg](http://afarmhousereborn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/poisonivy.jpg) > > A lot of people are allergic. My dad never was. A lot of people asked him to cut poison oak out of their yards. He cleared out a patch in my yard. 78 years old and never any reaction to it. Last time I was exposed I didn’t react. Still, I know allergies can change, so I plan to be well shielded when I root it out. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/14 "2014-06-26T18:40:59Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Twoflower is correct. poison oak has the jagged edges. > [http://afarmhousereborn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/poisonivy.jpg](http://afarmhousereborn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/poisonivy.jpg) > > A lot of people are allergic. My dad never was. A lot of people asked him to cut poison oak out of their yards. He cleared out a patch in my yard. 78 years old and never any reaction to it. I’ve never had a reaction to either the oak or the ivy, in all my life. About [15 percent](http://www.uis.edu/healthservices/forms/poisonivyoaksumac/) of people don’t react to it. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/15 "2014-06-26T18:44:19Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Last time I was exposed I didn’t react. Still, I know allergies can change, so I plan to be well shielded when I root it out. 😃😃 😃 Wise and prudent move. I’ve had the poison ivy rash. Not fun. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/16 "2014-06-26T18:44:34Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > My vote is for [poison oak](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_diversilobum), which can have relatively smooth leaves. See, that looks reminiscent of an oak leaf, which I’m assuming why it’s called “poison oak.” The leaf in the OP does not look like oak or poison oak to me. [Here’s another site](http://solosoutheast.com/_blog/SOLO_SE_Blog/page/2/) which has poison ivy and poison oak. Note that poison oak doesn’t have the sharp notches in it–they’re more rounded and oak-like. Or [here’s](https://ghshospital.org/community_support/health_tips/summer_safety/poison_ivy_poison_oak_and_poison_sumac.aspx) another good illustration. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/17 "2014-06-26T18:47:24Z")
Yeah, it looks like poison ivy to me, too. It’s fairly variable in appearance. Even the pictures on wiki show some variety. Whatever it is, the old “leaves of three” advice is pretty good. Just give it a wide berth. That stuff can grow just about anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/18 "2014-06-26T18:47:27Z")
I carry these poison ivy wipes when I go hiking. I’d want a box of them nearby before clearing a patch of vines. [http://store.noc.com/FIRST-AID-SUNSCREEN-BUG-SPRA/Tecnu-Outdoor-Skin-Cleanser-Individual-Packets/16039/108-233/Product](http://store.noc.com/FIRST-AID-SUNSCREEN-BUG-SPRA/Tecnu-Outdoor-Skin-Cleanser-Individual-Packets/16039/108-233/Product) ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/19 "2014-06-26T18:55:25Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > See, that looks reminiscent of an oak leaf, which I’m assuming why it’s called “poison oak.” The leaf in the OP does not look like oak or poison oak to me. [Here’s another site](http://solosoutheast.com/_blog/SOLO_SE_Blog/page/2/) which has poison ivy and poison oak. Note that poison oak doesn’t have the sharp notches in it–they’re more rounded and oak-like. Or [here’s](https://ghshospital.org/community_support/health_tips/summer_safety/poison_ivy_poison_oak_and_poison_sumac.aspx) another good illustration. Yep it’s somewhat ambiguous. So leaves of three let it be (or kill it) seems to be very sound advice. A friend’s dog got loose and wandered around in the woods for a while before returning home. Friend ended up in the ER because apparently she’s highly sensitive and broke out in blisters all over after being in contact with the dog, who must have gotten into poison whatever while on walkabout. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714/20 "2014-06-26T20:16:00Z")
OK so my sister’s boyfriend, who takes a great deal of pride in his outdoorsy-ness, insists it’s not poison ivy. I asked him what it was, and he said he didn’t know, he just knows it’s not poison ivy. Playing devil’s advocate here, what other plant could it be? Any thoughts? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-poison-ivy-right/691714.md?page=2)