Toxicodendron radicans
species of plant
Toxicodendron radicans, commonly known as eastern poison ivy or poison ivy, is a species of allergenic flowering plant. It has numerous subtaxons and forms both vines and shrubs. Despite its common name, it is not a true ivy, but rather a member of the cashew and sumac family, Anacardiaceae. It is different from western poison ivy, Toxicodendron rydbergii, and resembles a number of species.
The species is found in North America. Although commonly eaten by animals, with birds consuming the seeds, T. radicans is considered a noxious weed. As a poison ivy, it causes urushiol-induced contact dermatitis in most people who touch it, producing an itchy, irritating, and sometimes painful rash.
Description
Numerous subspecies and/or varieties of T. radicans are known. They can be found growing in any of the following forms, all having woody stems:
as a climbing vine that grows on trees or some other support
as a shrub up to 1.2 metres (4 feet) tall
as a trailing vine that is 10–25 centimetres (4–10 inches) long.
The deciduous leaves of T. radicans are trifoliate with three almond-shaped leaflets.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Toxicodendron radicans” as species of plant. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as species of plant. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jan 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7218532. The Library of Congress control number is sh85103933. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Toxicodendron radicans” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.