Atlantic poison oak

Toxicodendron pubescens

At a glance
Type	Shrub or tree
Life cycle	Perennial
Family	Sumac family (Anacardiaceae)
Origin	Native to the US
Most common in	Southeast

About

A low native shrub of the Southeast with the same rash-causing oil as poison ivy. It hides in sandy pine and scrub-oak woods, where people brush against it without noticing.

Also called eastern poison oak, poison oak, Atlantic poison-oak

Harmful to touch

All parts contain urushiol oil, which causes red, itchy, blistering skin after contact with the plant, or with tools, clothes or pets that touched it. Smoke from burning it can harm the lungs.

If someone is exposed

Wash the skin right away with soap (dish soap works) and plenty of cool water, scrub under your nails, and wash clothes, gloves, tools and any pet that touched it; for questions call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Never burn it, because the smoke can harm the lungs; call 911 if someone has trouble breathing, has a seizure, collapses or has a severe reaction, such as after breathing smoke or with a swollen face.

Handling it safely

Wear gloves, long sleeves, long pants, boots and eye protection; never burn it, mow it or run a string trimmer through it; and hire a professional for big patches or vines high in trees.

How to identify it

Look for

Leaves have three leaflets with rounded, oak-like lobes, and the stems and leaves are finely fuzzy. It grows as an upright, non-climbing shrub, usually 2 to 4 feet tall. Small yellow-green flowers appear in spring, followed by pale, tan-white berries.

Look-alikes

Poison ivy looks very similar but usually climbs or trails and has more pointed teeth, while Atlantic poison oak stays an upright, fuzzy shrub with rounded lobes. Fragrant sumac also has three lobed leaflets, but it bears red berries instead of pale ones.

Where it grows

Dry, sandy soils in pine and scrub-oak woods, thickets and woodland edges.

When

Flowers in spring (about March to June), and the pale berries ripen from late summer through fall.

How it spreads

Spreads by underground stems and by seeds that birds carry.

Most common in

Northeast	Occasional here
Southeast	Very common here
South Central	Common here
Midwest	Occasional here
Great Plains	Occasional here
Mountain West	Not found here
Southwest	Not found here
Pacific Northwest	Not found here
California	Not found here
Alaska	Not found here
Hawaii	Not found here

What to do, gentlest first

Protect yourself first. Weed killers are a last step; always read and follow the label.

Gear up before you weed Prevent
Wear gloves, long sleeves, long pants and eye protection, and learn the fuzzy, three-lobed leaf. Work on a still day, not a windy one.
Clean tools after every job; the oil stays active on surfaces for years.
Dig out small plants By hand
Dig up small plants with their roots, which is easiest in winter when there is less sap.
Bag it for the trash. Never burn, mow or string-trim it. Hire a professional for large patches.
Spot-treat with glyphosate or triclopyr Conventional spray
Spot-spray the leaves while the plant is actively growing. More than one treatment is usually needed.
Read and follow the label. Many lawn and brush herbicides also kill garden plants, so keep spray and drift off anything you want to keep.

Uses, wildlife and pets

For wildlife

Birds eat the berries, and deer eat the leaves and fruit.

Pets

Poison oak rarely bothers dogs, cats or horses, but pets can carry the oil on their fur to people. Bathe a pet that brushed through it while wearing gloves.

Sources

Photo: Photo: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain. Photo resized for the web.

Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.