How to identify poison sumac

Poison sumac (*Toxicodendron vernix*) is the third urushiol-producing plant in eastern North America, alongside poison ivy and poison oak. It is less commonly encountered than the others because of its very specific habitat requirement -- wet, swampy ground and bogs. But when contact occurs, per.

Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) is the third urushiol-producing plant in eastern North America, alongside poison ivy and poison oak. It is less commonly encountered than the others because of its very specific habitat requirement — wet, swampy ground and bogs. But when contact occurs, per Penn State Extension, poison sumac is considered by many dermatologists to cause the most severe urushiol reaction of the three Toxicodendron species, because the urushiol concentration per unit of plant tissue is higher.

What is poison sumac?

Toxicodendron vernix is a shrub or small tree growing 6–20 feet, found in wet swamps, bogs, and bottomlands across the eastern United States. Per USDA NRCS, its range extends from Florida north to Maine and west to Minnesota — essentially the eastern half of North America wherever suitable wet habitat occurs.