WINTER ID -- POISON IVY OR VIRGINIA CREEPER?

TOP OF EIGHT FOOT TALL TWISTING VINE
POISON IVY OR VIRGINIA CREEPER?

Winter changes the looks of plants. At least I think so. 


I was out walking a trail a few days ago and noticed what I thought was a large poison ivy plant. Hmm, the more I examined the eight foot twisting vine the more confused I got. See the whole plant and sections of it throughout this post except for the bottom photo 


If you are one that likes to walk trails in the woods and fields in the winter you might want to be aware of poison ivy -- it can cause allergic reactions year round. It grows throughout the United States. If you brush against the vine with your clothes the rash-causing oil will be picked up and will require washing to get rid of it. Also, you should be aware not to cut any of its lovely curving twigs for winter bouquets from its woody  vine.

But how is one to know if the plant is poison ivy when observed in the winter for there is another that looks similar -- Virginia creeper.

FROM ITS FLOURISHING HAIR-DO TYPE TOP TO ITS SOIL BASED VINE
THIS 8 FOOT VINE HUGS AN OLD FENCE POST.
IS IT POISON IVY OR VIRGINIA CREEPER?

Poison Ivy contains a chemical oil that causes a rash and irritation that can be quite unpleasant. Not all people are sensitive to the ivy’s oil but may develop an allergic reaction at any age.

Birds love the white berries that grow in small clusters along the vine in late summer. They provide nourishment for flickers, sapsuckers, pheasants, and quail to name a few. But no white berries are to be found in the winter. Nor its leaves of three, let it be clusters. To humans the whole plant is toxic. 

LARGE PLANT VINE SECTION

LARGE PLANT VINE SECTION

LARGE PLANT VINE SECTION

BOTTOM VINE SECTION

Another climbing woody vine that grows similar to poison ivy is Virginia creeper. Both plants  have aerial roots protruding all along their woody stems and they both have woody shrub- like vines. 

Virginia creeper also provides fruit, small blue berries, to a host of animals such as eastern bluebirds, cardinals, Leopard moths, deer, skunk and many more birds and mammals. The berries are found in late autumn. The berries are very toxic to humans. 


Both Virginia creeper and poison ivy grow in close proximity to each other and sometimes twine up the same post or tree.

So given the similarities between the two, how does one ID poison ivy from Virginia creeper in the winter? With their leaves gone and the berries off the poison ivy – what are the identifying traits that distinguish them from each other?

TWIGGY SMALL SHRUB CLOSE TO LARGE UNIDENTIFIED PLANT -- BELIEVE BERRIES OF VIRGINIA CREEPER?

Near the large unidentified plant was a smaller upright twiggy plant with a few blue berries still on it. Could this be  Virginia creeper? Was the large plant I was trying to identify also Virginia creeper? 

I know that there are lots of naturalists or plant people out there that probably could help me out in identifying this large twisting vine. Perhaps even provide tips for others needing to identify poison ivy along winter trails. 

Does anyone have any clues? Please comment with any information or suggestions – I surly would appreciate it. 


In the meantime I will steer clear of this beautiful twisting vine until summer when its leaves sprout. Then I can count its leaves. Leaves of three, let it be, is an old saying about poison ivy -- meaning count the leaves in its cluster -- if five its Virginia creeper --  if three, stay clear!


Addendum -- January 5, 2011
I am adding a link about winter poison ivy HERE. It is from OUTSIDE MY WINDOW -- A Bird Blog with Kate St John. She discusses the ivy is ways that I thought were a great supplement to this post.