Leaf guide › Compound leaves
Poison sumac
Toxicodendron vernix
A swamp shrub with brilliant fall color and the same rash-causing oil as poison ivy. Look, but don’t touch.
- Fall color
- OrangeRedYellow
- Turns
- Early
- Leaves
- Compound, 7 to 13 leaflets
- Size
- 7–15 in. long overall
- Found in
- New England & New York, Great Lakes & North Woods, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest
How to recognize it
- Seven to thirteen leaflets with smooth edges and no teeth.
- The leaflets sit along a reddish central stem.
- Grows in wet ground: swamps, bogs, and wet woods, not dry roadsides or fields.
- Drooping clusters of small whitish or gray berries, not the upright red fuzzy cones of staghorn sumac.
- Every part of the plant contains urushiol, the same oil as poison ivy. Don’t touch it, and never burn it.
Where to find it
Look for it only in wet places: swamps, bogs, fens, and wet woods. You won’t find it on dry roadsides or in open fields.
Easy to confuse with
Worth knowing
Poison sumac is far less common than poison ivy because it grows only in wet places, but it carries the same irritating oil, and many people react to it even more strongly. Its leaves, stems, berries, and roots can all cause a rash, in any season, and smoke from burning it can be dangerous to breathe.
Common questions
What color does poison sumac turn in fall?
Poison sumac turns brilliant orange, red, and yellow early in the season, which is part of what makes it tempting to touch.
Is poison sumac poisonous to touch?
Yes. Every part of the plant contains urushiol, the same oil as poison ivy, and it can cause a rash in any season, even from bare stems in winter.
How can you tell poison sumac from staghorn sumac?
Staghorn sumac: Toothed leaflets, fuzzy stems, upright red fruit clusters, and dry roadsides and fields. Poison sumac: Smooth-edged leaflets, drooping whitish berries, and wet, swampy ground.
Where does poison sumac grow?
In the lower 48, look for it in New England & New York, the Great Lakes & North Woods, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, and the Midwest, only in wet places like swamps, bogs, and wet woods.
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