Poison Ivy vs. Virginia Creeper: How to Tell the Difference

Whether you’re gardening, hiking, or walking a forest trail, it can be difficult to tell the difference between poison ivy and Virginia creeper. One is harmless, while the other will cause a nasty rash. Both poison ivy and Virginia creeper grow in wooded areas, along forest edges and trails, and in urban areas, which means you could encounter them during many outdoor activities. Because both plants grow quickly and can easily take over your yard, it’s important to identify them correctly before attempting to remove them. Luckily, there are a few ways to be sure which one you are dealing with.

Number of Leaves 

The sap of poison ivy contains an oil called urushiol, which causes the allergic reaction. This oil is not only within the plant’s leaves but also in the stems, vines, and roots. If you touch poison ivy, wash your skin right away with warm water, oil-cutting soap, and a washcloth. Also, wash any clothes, gloves, or even shoes that have encountered poison ivy. 

“Leaves of three, leave them be. Leaves of five, let them thrive.”

The easiest way to tell poison ivy from Virginia Creeper is by counting leaflets. Poison ivy grows in leaves of three leaflets – two smaller ones and a larger leaflet at the center – on a longer stem with smooth, glossy surfaces. Virginia creeper grows in leaves of five uniform leaflets with dull surfaces. Contrary to popular belief, looking at the leaf edges is not reliable. While Virginia creepers always have serrated edges, poison ivy can have serrated, smooth, or lobed edges. Though it isn’t the easiest to determine the pattern without getting close, counting leaflets is still the best way to differentiate the two.

Poison Ivy 

Virginia Creeper

Growing Patterns

Another way to tell them apart is by observing their growing patterns. Poison ivy growing patterns, much like the edges of their leaves, are variable. It can grow as a vine, a clump of plants, a single-stem plant, or a shrub. When it grows as a vine, it has bunches of fuzzy, aerial roots which sprout from the vine to anchor the poison ivy to the ground, up tree bark and branches, and across fences and other structures. Virginia creeper only grows as a vine. To adhere to surfaces, Virginia creeper uses small adhesive discs at the end of each vine, like that of a gecko foot. These pads are so strong they can pull off paint, stucco, and even brick.

Flowers and Fruits

Both plants change color with the season and produce berries and flowers. The leaves of the Virginia creeper become a brilliant red in the fall and sprout small green flowers which will produce small dark blue berries resembling grapes. Leaves of poison ivy act much like many trees in the Carolinas, turning shades of red, yellow, or orange and producing hard-to-detect off-white flowers, which will turn into white berries that are poisonous to many animals, including humans.

Important! 

Not everyone reacts to the oils produced by poison ivy on their first encounter. The adverse reaction may not develop until after multiple encounters.

When removing poison ivy, don’t compost or burn it. Composting spreads its oils through all the compost and burning it risks the oils burning up in the smoke and irritating your eyes and lungs.