# eastern poison ivy

*Toxicodendron radicans*

Urushiol oil remains active on dead plant parts, clothing, and pet fur for years, and burning poison ivy can release this toxic oil into the smoke, causing severe respiratory damage.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Sapindales › Anacardiaceae › Toxicodendron
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous forests, woodland edges, fields, and disturbed urban areas.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthesis utilizing sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide).
- **Range:** Eastern North America, Central America, East Asia
- **Size:** Varies from low ground cover to climbing woody vines up to 30 meters long.
- **Lifespan:** Perennial (can live for decades, regenerating indefinitely through underground rhizomes).
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Highly resilient, though local populations are controlled by herbicides and land clearing.
- **Safe to approach?:** Dangerous (severe allergen). Do not touch any part of the plant. Urushiol oil causes severe allergic contact dermatitis (itchy, blistering rash). Maintain a safe distance and avoid brushing against it. If contact occurs, wash the skin immediately with cold running water and dish soap or a specialized degreasing cleanser within 2 hours. Do not burn the plant, as inhaling the smoke can cause life-threatening lung inflammation. Seek medical attention if a rash spreads to the face or covers a large area.

## About

Toxicodendron radicans , commonly known as eastern poison ivy or poison ivy , is a poisonous Asian and Eastern North American flowering plant that is well-known for causing Urushiol-induced contact dermatitis, an itchy, irritating, and sometimes painful rash in most people who touch it. It is caused by urushiol, a clear liquid compound in the plant's sap. The species is variable in its appearance and habit, and despite its common name it is not a true ivy ( Hedera ),...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/1ea59974-ff68-46aa-ad4a-d8ce32303759
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/58732
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron radicans
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/2237896/medium.jpg (Sam Fraser-Smith, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.