Nope, It Isn’t Poison Ivy, It’s... ©

 

It isn’t poison ivy, but people mistake it for poison ivy, sometimes, photograph by the author.

Because of COVID-19 and the schools being closed, Boy Scout Troops can’t meet, and so for my readers who are Boy Scouts in the United States, this article can help you with the plant identification requirements for First Class.  For other plant identification articles go HERE – Author’s Note

“What has glossy, green leaves, which turn bright red in the Fall, sometimes grows along the ground and sometimes as a vine up and around trees”?  “Do you know”?

“I know what you are thinking, but nope, it isn’t poison ivy, it’s virginia creeper”!

“Virginia creeper”, you say, “what’s that”?

 

Virginia creeper, photograph by the author.

Virginia creeper is a perennial, fast-growing, native woody vine, whose scientific name is “parthenocissus quinquefolia, (L.) Planch”, it is also known as woodbind or woodbine, false grapes, five leaves, American ivy, five leaved ivy and thicket ivy.  The berries of this plant are eaten mainly by birds, however many animals, such as mice, squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, deer, and cattle will eat the leaves, stems, and berries of this ivy.

 

The range of eastern poison ivy, from an excerpt from United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, “Eastern Poison Ivy”.

 

The range of virginia creeper, from an excerpt from United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, “Virginia creeper”.

Virginia creeper, photograph by the author.

Many people confuse virginia creeper with eastern poison ivy.  And while virginia creeper does have some similarities to poison ivy, in that it has a similar range and just like poison ivy it likes to grow in moist shady spots on the edges of woodlands, although, again just like poison ivy, it can also grow in full sunlight; what sets it apart from poison ivy is its five saw-toothed leaves¹, its hairless roots and its blue-black berries.

 

An old saying that can help you identify poison ivy, graphics by the author.

Remember the old saying “Leaves of three, let it be”, well virginia creeper has compound leaves made up of five saw-toothed leaflets, which are two to six (5 to 15 cm).  Also, virginia creeper has ¼ inch (64 mm) in diameter bluish-black berries, and its roots have cup-like adhesive tips, instead of hairs like poison ivy.  For more on how to identify poison ivy read, “Poison Ivy: “Leaves of Three, Let It Be” ©”, HERE

 

Graphic by the author.

Another difference between virginia creeper and poison ivy, is that unlike eastern poison ivy, which according to Michigan State University, up to 90% of the population is allergic to², virginia creeper is pretty harmless, although the USDA reports that the “berries are highly toxic to humans and may be fatal if eaten” and they also report that the “sap can also cause skin irritation in some people”³. 

So the next time you are wandering through the woods and you see an ivy, creeping along the ground and up a tree, before you get nervous, count the leaves – if there are five leaves, you can relax, it is only virginia creeper!

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at Bandanaman Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

Notes

¹ According to the article “Virginia creeper”, by the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, virginia creeper usually has five leaves, but occasionally it will have three.

² Michigan State University, “Poison ivy: Frequently Asked Questions”

³ According to the article “Virginia creeper”, by the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, the sap of the virginia creeper contains oxalate crystals, which can cause rashes and skin irritation in some people.

Sources

Michigan State University, “Poison ivy: Frequently Asked Questions”, https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/poison_ivy_frequently_asked_questions#:~:text=It%20thrives%20in%20full%20sun,wood's%20edge%20type%20of%20plant., accessed June 4, 2020

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, “Eastern Poison Ivy”, https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=TORA2, accessed May 27, 2020

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service, “Virginia creeper”, https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=paqu2, accessed June 4, 2020