Poison-ivy

Toxicodendron radicans

Contact hazard

Native to Arkansas. Not suggested for planting. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height: Groundcover, shrub or climbing vine, climbing stems can reach 150 feet
Spread: 1–10 feet
Light: Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Toxicodendron radicans — fruit photograph — Nathan Howell; Howell, Krings and Braham (2016) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

Contact hazard. Remove from paths and play areas; avoid contact and never burn. Follow Extension removal guidance and wear protective clothing. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Spring

Recorded in 41 Arkansas counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 130 animals.

White Ibis
Eudocimus albus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
American Bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
American Tree Sparrow
Spizella arborea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue-winged Teal
Anas discors
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Blue-winged Warbler
Vermivora pinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Sitta pusilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Dickcissel
Spiza americana
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Dunlin
Calidris alpina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Field Sparrow
Spizella pusilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-winged Warbler
Vermivora chrysoptera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Grasshopper Sparrow
Ammodramus savannarum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Henslow's Sparrow
Ammodramus henslowii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
House Finch
Carpodacus mexicanus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Le Conte's Sparrow
Ammodramus leconteii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Least Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Loggerhead Shrike
Lanius ludovicianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Palm Warbler
Dendroica palmarum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Pine Warbler
Dendroica pinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Purple Gallinule
Porphyrio martinica
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Picoides borealis
Birds. 1 shared habitat

Widespread birds also seen here (60)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of Arkansas

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

53CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Rhus

Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
Acronicta longaLong-Winged Dagger, Darkish Dagger
Actias lunaLuna Moth
Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
Antepione thisoariaVariable Antepione
Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Archips georgianaFireworm, Georgia Leafroller
Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
Argyrotaenia quercifolianaYellow-Winged Oak Leafroller Moth, Lined Oak Leafroller
Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper

Show all 53

Caloptilia belfragellaDogwood Caloptilia
Caloptilia rhoifoliellaSumac Leafblotch Miner Moth, Sumac Caloptilia
Calycopis cecropsRed-Banded Hairstreak, Cecrops Hairstreak
Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
Chloropteryx tepperariaAngled-Winged Emerald
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
Cleora sublunariaDouble-Lined Gray
Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
Datana perspicuaSpotted Dantana
Datana robustaRobust Datana
Derrima stellataPink Star
Dichorda iridariaShowy Emerald
Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Holcocera chalcofrontellaSumac Holcocera
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
Marathyssa basalisLight Marathyssa
Marathyssa inficitaDark Marathyssa
Marathyssa pulcherrimusBeautiful Eutelia
Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
Moodna ostrinellaDarker Moodna
Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
Nemoria bifilataWhite-Barred Emerald
Nemoria rubrifrontariaRed-Fronted Emerald
Olethreutes permundanaRaspberry Leafroller
Paectes abrostolellaBarren Paectes
Paectes oculatrixEyed Paectes
Paectes pygmaeaPygmy Paectes
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
Pococera asperatellaMaple Webworm
Pseudochelaria walsinghamiWalsingham's Moth
Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
Sciota subfuscellaStriped Sumac Leafroller
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Telphusa longifasciellaY-Backed Telphusa
Tetracis crocallataYellow Slant-Line
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Paralobesia rhoifructana
Stigmella intermedia

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

52BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Rhus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

21BirdsRecorded eating Toxicodendron in Arkansas

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Arkansas, most records first.

Ruffed Grouse15 diet records
Red-headed WoodpeckerSeeds. 3 diet records
Swainson's ThrushSeeds and fruit. 2 diet records
Brown Thrasher2 diet records
Eastern BluebirdFruit. 2 diet records
Hermit ThrushFruit and seeds. 2 diet records
American RobinFruit. 1 diet record
Bell's Vireo1 diet record
Common GrackleFruit. 1 diet record
Dark-eyed JuncoSeeds. 1 diet record

Show all 21

Downy WoodpeckerSeeds. 1 diet record
Eastern Wood-peweeSeeds. 1 diet record
House FinchSeeds. 1 diet record
Northern CardinalFruit. 1 diet record
Red-bellied WoodpeckerSeeds. 1 diet record
Rock Pigeon1 diet record
Song SparrowSeeds. 1 diet record
Spotted TowheeSeeds. 1 diet record
White-crowned SparrowSeeds. 1 diet record
White-eyed Vireo1 diet record
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherSeeds. 1 diet record

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab)

Direct food only. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Birds that eat Toxicodendron 21

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Ruffed Grouse
Bonasa umbellus
15 diet records
Red-headed Woodpecker
Melanerpes erythrocephalus
Seeds. 3 diet records
Swainson's Thrush
Catharus ustulatus
Seeds and fruit. 2 diet records
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
2 diet records
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Fruit. 2 diet records
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Fruit and seeds. 2 diet records
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Fruit. 1 diet record
Bell's Vireo
Vireo bellii
1 diet record
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Fruit. 1 diet record
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Seeds. 1 diet record
Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Seeds. 1 diet record
Eastern Wood-pewee
Contopus virens
Seeds. 1 diet record
House Finch
Carpodacus mexicanus
Seeds. 1 diet record
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Fruit. 1 diet record
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Seeds. 1 diet record
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
1 diet record
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Seeds. 1 diet record
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Seeds. 1 diet record
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Seeds. 1 diet record
White-eyed Vireo
Vireo griseus
1 diet record
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Empidonax flaviventris
Seeds. 1 diet record

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Anacardiaceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–10b
Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline
Flower color: Green or white

What its natural habitat tells you

Size. Height depends on growth form and support. This is not a single mature garden height and is not converted to a planner midpoint. Source

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Spring” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Flower color · “Green or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–10b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “Groundcover, shrub or climbing vine; climbing stems can reach 150 feet” · NC State Extension · reviewed species facts
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “1–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Poison Ivy; Rhus radicans; sumac

Conservation status

Arkansas rank	Not available
Global rank	G5
AR status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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