Common Name(s): | Poison-ivy, Poison-oak |
Scientific Name: | Toxicodendron radicans |
Synoyms: | Rhus toxicodendron |
Family: | Anacardiaceae |
Longevity: | Perennial |
Season: | Cool |
Origin: | Native |
Height: | 2.5 m |
Flowers: | April - May |
Fruits: | Summer - Fall |
Description: A shrub, vine or, rarely a small tree adapted to a wide variety of sites, but common on moist soil in forest understory and openings, along fence rows and roadsides. Leaves have three leaflets, rarely five. Fruit is eaten by many species of birds, including turkey and quail. Leaves and stems are browsed by white-tailed deer and some livestock. Can cause moderate to severe allergic contact dermatitis in some individuals. This species is quite variable, ranging from a small shrub to a high-climbing vine. It is similar to Poison-oak and some botanists treat the two as the same plant. |