An awesome day outside can quickly take a wrong turn when you start to see an itchy rash all over your legs.  As a child who grew up in the Northeast, I always had to be careful when playing in the woods or even at a park. Poison ivy seemed to be everywhere.  My younger brother seemingly always managed to find it when playing in any wooded area. I grew up thinking poison ivy was the only plant to avoid, but after moving to the Bay Area as an adult, I learned poison oak is another culprit.

The good news is these pesky plants can be easily avoided if you know what to look for while outside. Hopefully the information below will be helpful in identifying these poisonous plants, so your next outdoor adventure is a bit less worrisome, especially with curious little ones.

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of poisonous plants, but common ones to avoid. In the event you encounter one of these plants be sure to contact your medical provider for proper treatment. 

POISON IVY

Poison ivy is a plant that is commonly known to cause skin irritation. This plant is commonly found throughout the eastern and central United States (everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains). Poison ivy’s typical habitat is wooded areas, but it can also be found in open fields. 

The good news is this plant has a rhyme to remember what to avoid - “leaves of three, let it be.” Poison ivy leaves grow in groups of three. The groups of leaves are typically green, but can be more reddish in color if it is a young plant. Poison ivy also flowers. The blossoms are small and white with an orange center. In Autumn, the leaves will turn orange, red and yellow in color.

How does poison ivy irritate your skin and cause all that itching? Like other poisonous plants, poison ivy produces urushiol, which is an oily sap that causes the allergic reaction with the skin. The urushiol is found in the leaves, stem, and roots so there is no avoiding it if you make direct contact.

POISON SUMAC

Poison sumac is a shrub that often grows in wet or swampy areas, particularly the Southwest, but can also be found in the Northwest and Midwest.

Poison sumac’s leaves are shaped like a feather with a red stem and green leaves. In the Spring and Summer, poison sumac has clusters of berries usually with white or light green coloring that sag downward. The berries are not perfectly round but shaped rather oddly. In Autumn, poison sumac’s leaves will turn bright orange, red, and even yellow.

Poison sumac also contains urushiol. Unique to poison sumac is that the toxin is highly concentrated compared to the other two plants and remains active even after the plant had died.

POISON OAK

Poison oak typically grows in the western United States and can also be found in the Southeast.

Poison oak is a low to the ground shrub that can grow up to three feet tall. Their leaves are often a duller green than poison ivy, however, poison oak leaves also grow in similar group of three. Unlike poison ivy, the leaves are usually toothed or lobed and have hairs or fuzz on both sides. While the poison oak leaves resemble oak tree leaves, poison oak is not part of the oak tree family. Poison oak and poison ivy are very similar plants. Just like poison ivy and poison sumac, the leaves will turn red and orange in the fall.

The rhyme, “leaves of three, let it be” will save you here too! So if you’re along the west coast or in the northeast this rhyme can protect on the trail from multiple plants! Just like poison ivy and poison sumac, poison oak contains urushiol, which causes the allergic reaction.

Now that you are armed with a bit more information to spot these pesky plants, here are a few tips to help the family spend more time outside and less time itching.  First, and especially when hiking with little ones, it’s wise to select a wide trail that is properly cleared to avoid too much brushing against plants.  It can’t be completely avoided, and everyone wants to explore (it’s part of why you’re outside after all), so it’s important to always be on the lookout. We also recommend wearing pants rather than shorts, to avoid unintended encounters with the wrong plants. Keeping your skin covered protects it from poisonous plants, the sun, and insects, such as ticks.  If you think you may have brushed your clothes against these plants, be sure to change when you get home and toss the clothes in the wash to remove any oils.

Last, don’t be afraid to explain to your little ones what they should be on the look out for and why they need to avoid it.  At the very least, it’s another activity to keep them engaged with during your next adventure. If you have a little nature photographer, there are great applications (including OS 15 on an iphone) that you can have them identify plants while out and about.

We hope this is helpful on your next outing! If you have any other helpful information or tips for avoiding poisonous plants please share below. 

We hope to see you outside!