Poison Ivy

A common question is whether poison ivy grows in grass or in your lawn. Poison Ivy does not typically invade mowed lawns, but rather prefers shade along fences and rock walls or in wooded areas. If you suspect Poison Ivy in these areas, do not touch it or try to pull it out by hand. Poison Ivy can be a climbing or trailing broadleaf weed, forming either a deciduous woody shrub or a climbing vine with three leaflets. On older plants, Poison Ivy's aerial roots give the stems a hairy, fibrous appearance. Its leaflet stalks are short, except on the middle leaflet. Poison Ivy produces small, yellowish-green flowers on axillary panicles. This poisonous creeper also forms small white berries containing a single seed. These berries typically remain on the stems through winter. Poison Ivy reproduces using these seeds or by creeping rootstocks and stems that root where they contact the soil.