Top 5+ Expert-Backed Tips to Banish Poison Ivy From Your Yard—Safely and Simply

Gardeners love fast-growing plants that don’t need a ton of care and that will grow anywhere, no matter what the conditions. However, there’s one vigorous native plant we don’t want in our gardens: Poison ivy.

Native to North America, poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is found across the country, everywhere from deciduous forests and wooded areas to roadsides, pastures and your own back yard. “It can grow just about anywhere and is very tolerant of a variety of conditions including both sun or shade,” says Pamela Bennett, associate professor and state master gardener program director at Ohio State University. “It is typically brought into a new area by birds dropping the seeds, which then germinate.”

poison ivy

If you’ve ever suffered the misery of a rash caused by poison ivy, you know you don’t want to be anywhere near it. This poisonous plant releases an oil called urushiol, which causes the itchy, blistering rash within a few hours to a few days after contact, says Bennett. Exposure to an amount less than a grain of salt causes a rash in 80 to 90 percent of adults! Some people can have a severe reaction and trouble breathing, which requires immediate medical care.

All parts of the poison ivy plant are poisonous, including stems, leaves, and roots. You also can develop symptoms if you have indirect contact with poison ivy, such as touching tools, clothing, or pets that have urushiol on them, too. The toxin also can be inhaled if carried on soot particles in smoke when the plant is burned—which is why you should never, ever burn this plant, says Bennett.

Although cats and dogs typically don’t get a rash from poison ivy because their fur offers protection, some short breeds that are low to the ground or pets with sparse coats can develop symptoms on places such as their bellies. If you suspect your pet has been exposed, call your vet ASAP (and use rubber gloves to give them a bath so you won’t make contact with the oil).

Ahead, here’s how to get rid of this weed to protect the whole family:

poison ivy

First, Learn to Identify Poison Ivy

The old saying, “Leaves of three, let it be,” applies. The plant has three shiny leaflets with a petiole that attaches them to a stem in the center, with two leaves on the bottom and one on top (almost like a triangle shape). Leaves are arranged alternately on the stem, says Bennett. New growth is reddish, and in the fall, the foliage turns a brilliant red color. The plant may appear as shrubby or as a vine with tendrils that can climb trees high into the canopy. Mature plants may have small yellowish flowers that become grayish-white berries that many birds love.

Not poison ivy: Box elder (Acer negundo)

Other plants are sometimes misidentified as poison ivy. Box elder (Acer negundo) leaves often are confused with poison ivy, but these tree seedlings have opposite leaves (pairs of leaves that grow directly across from each other on the stem), rather than alternate leaves like poison ivy. Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) have a similar appearance, but they have five leaflets, not three.

Not poison ivy: Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Get Rid of Poison Ivy with 5 Essential Steps

Your best bet for eradicating this weed is to catch it when it’s young and much easier to eliminate, says Bennett. This is why it’s helpful to learn to identify this weed correctly. Then follow these steps to get rid of poison ivy:

• Wear protective clothing, including long pants, long sleeves, and gloves. Machine wash clothing afterwards.
• For young plants, pull up the entire seedling, or dig out small plants. But be aware that it has an extensive, fibrous root system. Any piece left behind will regrow.
• For large plants, cut the plant at the base, which will kill all the foliage above it. Then spray the stem with herbicide containing as glyphosate, triclopyr, or 2, 4-D. These herbicides are not selective so be careful when applying because they will kill everything they contact (so don’t spray the tree trunk, for example).
• Repeat spray the stem as long as you see new growth occurring. “It typically will take multiple applications, and you may need to re-treat next spring,” says Bennett.
• Discard the plant in the trash, not in the compost pile because you don’t want it to regrow.

Poison ivy in autumn

Keep in mind that the best time to treat a poison ivy plant is in the fall, when the plants are taking up sugars and pulling them into the roots to store for the winter. “You want the plant to still be actively growing so it that translocates the herbicide to the roots to kill the plant,” says Bennett. However, you can treat this plant at any time during the growing season if necessary.

Finally, if you have severe reactions to this plant, consider hiring a professional landscape company for removal.