Identifying Posion Ivy

Two different stages.

Poison ivy in the spring

As I often say on my walks. "Poison Ivy is one of the hardest plants to learn how to consistently recognize because it takes on many different colors and forms. It can be dark or light green and change colors in the fall like trees do. It can grow as a vine, up tree trunks or fenceposts. It can also grow as a bush.

Most people's interactions with Poison Ivy are negative. Poison Ivy rashes are very uncomfortable, and can even be serious for people who are highly allergic. However, many consider Poison Ivy's foliage to be beautiful, especially in the fall. Some people plant Poison Ivy in their gardens or along forest edges to add color. Poison Ivy can also attract many songbirdsand deer. Deer like Poison Ivy so much, it may keep them from eating other garden plants. 

The following link has more good pictures of Poison Ivy to help you identify it.  Poison Ivy