Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)

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Notes

Key Characteristics

• Usually a creeping or climbing vine, but may be an erect shrub; climbing tree trunks, attaching to the bark by tiny aerial rootlets, and branching toward 1 m.
• Bark gray
• Leaves alternate, pinnately compound, 2 leaflets, 15-30 cm long; leaflets 5-12 cm long; terminal leaflet longer-stalked than laterals; ovate to rhombic, short-acuminate; entire or sparingly or coarsely dentate or sinuate; usually more or less wrinkled; glabrous, lustrous yellowish green above, more or less pubescent beneath; not aromatic; petioles 5-10 cm long.
• Twigs slender, yellowish brown, sparingly pubescent or glabrate.
• Winter buds naked, light brown, scurfy-pubescent; terminal buds erect, fingerlike; lateral buds much smaller, appressed.

Sourced from "Michigan Shrubs"

Comments

Marian (guest) 20 Nov 2018 16:00

The 2 photos with purplish stems and fine-toothed leaves are definitely not Poison Ivy. The leaves look like a Rubus species. The stems have the color and bloom of Black Raspberry Rubus occidentalis but the bristly character of Wine Raspberry Rubus phoenicolasius.

galant 20 Nov 2018 21:59

Thanks for pointing that out. I've updated the page.

Pictures

Many come from Steve Baskauf at Vanderbilt University