Species guide
Pacific poison oak
Skin irritantToxicodendron diversilobum
How to recognise it
Leaves of three with lobed, oak-like leaflets that are glossy green, turning red in fall. Grows as a shrub or climbing vine; common in the western US.
Is it dangerous?
Causes the same urushiol rash as poison ivy, from contact with any part — including in winter when bare.
Commonly confused with
- True oak seedlings — leaves singly, not in threes
What to do
Avoid contact, wash promptly if exposed, and never burn it.
Recorded 46,503 times in the wild worldwide.
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