Poison Ivy in Fall

Poison ivy is one of the first plants to turn fall colors, and the leaves can be among the most beautiful. Beware!

Just as summer poison ivy leaves vary greatly in size, shape, and color, the fall leaves may take on a wide range of colors and patterns.

When the leaves fall, the berries are easier to see. They are considered important food for birds and are not edible for people!

Here a fall climbing vine is reaching out for places to climb higher: a perfect trap for people walking along.

(There is some red and green Virginia creeper behind and above the yellow poison ivy.)

Notice that the leaves closest to us are still green, but the leaves farther out are already turning. So the plant may change color in stages.

This lovely fall field, recently mowed, has a huge undergrowth of poison ivy mixed with the grass. This is a typical scene in an apple orchard, so be on the lookout if apple picking.

Very often, poison ivy turns colors before other plants, so it stands out, making fall a good time to look for it. Here, it grows up a tree in a park.

Important: poison ivy loses its leaves early in the fall, before many other plants. This series of naked bushes is all poison ivy! 

When fall comes, the plant oil that causes the rash withdraws from the leaves into the stems and roots, which means the leaves might be somewhat less dangerous in the fall.