How to Identify Poison Sumac (with Pictures)

The most striking single color poison sumac’s fall foliage can become is red, which has a brightness and crispness that rivals the fall foliage of red maple trees, albeit on a smaller scale.

Identifying and Treating a Poison Sumac Rash

Hiking and biking in the parks and woodlands are popular outdoor activities, but some native plants can quickly turn your outing into a miserable experience. One such plant is poison sumac, a deciduous, woody shrub or small tree. Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) inhabits swamps and other wet areas as well as pinewoods and hardwood forests.

Skin contact with the oil of a poison sumac plant leads to an itchy, burning allergic skin reaction. Poison sumac is considered more allergenic than both poison ivy and poison oak. These are other well-known plants that are also in the Toxicodendron genus of the sumac family.

Poison sumac releases an oil known as urushiol when the plant is bruised or damaged. Skin contact with the oil of a poison sumac plant causes an allergic skin reaction known as contact dermatitis. All parts of a poison sumac plant are poisonous and the oils remain active even after the plant dies.

Symptoms of a poison sumac rash appear 8–48 hours after exposure and can last for weeks. Some people are more sensitive to the plants and will have harsher symptoms. The rash itself is not contagious, but the oils can be spread if they remain on the skin, clothing, or shoes.

Symptoms of a poison sumac rash include:

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• itchiness
• burning sensation on the skin
• redness
• swelling
• watery blisters

Symptoms can interfere with a person’s day-to-day activities depending on where the rash occurs on the body and how much it spreads. People who work outside in the woods or swamp areas are particularly susceptible to poison sumac rash.

Poison sumac is found in swamps, wetlands, pinewoods, and hardwood forests. It can be found along the eastern and southern quadrants of the United States. Poison sumac is particularly abundant along the Mississippi River and swampy areas of the Southeast.

Poison sumac is characterized by:

• reddish stems
• leaves that consist of 7–13 leaflets arranged in pairs with a single leaflet at the end
• elongated leaflets with a smooth, velvety texture, smooth edges, and a V-shaped point
• bright orange leaves in the early spring that later become dark green and glossy, and then turn red-orange in the fall
• small, yellow-green flowers in clusters
• ivory-white to gray fruits that are loosely packed

Similar plants

Poison sumac is more similar to poison ivy and poison oak than it is to other sumacs. Winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) looks similar to poison sumac, but is nonallergenic (doesn’t cause an allergic reaction). Winged sumac can be distinguished from poison sumac by its 9–23 leaflets and red berries. The most widespread sumac — staghorn sumac — is non-poisonous. Staghorn sumac has bright orange or red berries growing at the edge of its stems. Its leaves also have saw-toothed edges, unlike poison sumac. While poison sumac likes to grow in wetlands, most other sumacs prefer drier areas with well-drained soils.

Poison ivy and poison oak are two other commonly known poisonous plants that can cause a rash, but they look different from poison sumac. Poison ivy typically has three shiny green leaves (or red in the fall) budding from one small stem. Poison oak also typically comes in leaves of three.

If you’re exposed to poison sumac, the first step is to remove the oil from your skin. Don’t wait until a reaction appears on your skin to take action; a rash could take hours to develop.

Wash any exposed parts thoroughly with soap and cool water. Don’t use warm water, as this could cause the oils to spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends rinsing with rubbing alcohol, specialized poison plant washes, degreasing soap (such as dishwashing soap), or detergent, along with lots of water. Take special care to clean under the fingernails to avoid spreading the oil to the eyes and other parts of the body. Clean all contaminated clothing, shoes, and gear with detergent several times.

There is no cure for the rash. You’ll have to wait for the symptoms to pass. There are many over-the-counter remedies to help with your symptoms in the meantime, including:

• calamine lotion
• hydrocortisone creams
• topical anesthetics, such as menthol or benzocaine
• oral antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

You can also take an oatmeal bath to help relieve the itching.

If the rash is on the face or genitals, spreads over a large part (30–50 percent) of the body, or you have a high fever (over 101°F), see your doctor. A doctor may prescribe oral or strong topical steroids to help reduce inflammation. You should also make a visit to your doctor if you think your rash has become infected due to scratching. Treatment will usually involve antibiotics.

Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room immediately if your eyes swell shut or you have difficulty breathing.

Scratching the skin can lead to an infection. Symptoms of an infection include redness, pain, pus, and oozing from the blisters.

If the oil is inhaled, which may occur if the plant is burned, it can lead to a dangerous lung irritation. This can be fatal. Symptoms of lung irritation include coughing, difficulty breathing, and wheezing.

Poison sumac is one of the most toxic plants in the United States, causing a horrible skin reaction that can persist for weeks. Thankfully, poison sumac is much less common than poison oak and poison ivy.

If you work or spend a lot of time in wetlands, swamps, or shady hardwood forests, being able to identify local types of poison sumac throughout the seasons is key to avoiding exposure. If you do come in contact with poison sumac, clean the area immediately with cool, soapy water and avoid scratching. as this could lead to an infection.

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• Brown SP, et al. (2015). Identification of poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and poisonwood.
  edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP22000.pdf
• Carson A. (2012). Poison sumac: How to identify it, and what to do if you’ve been exposed.
  davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3940#b
• Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. (n.d.).
  chop.edu/pages/poison-ivy-poison-oak-and-poison-sumac
• Poisonous plants: Geographic distribution. (2016).
  cdc.gov/niosh/topics/plants/geographic.html
• Poisonous plants: Symptoms and first aid. (2016).
  cdc.gov/niosh/topics/plants/symptoms.html
• Poison sumac. (n.d.).
  poison-ivy.org/poison-sumac
• Toxicodendron vernix (L.) Kuntze: Poison sumac. (n.d.).
  plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=TOVE

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

How to Identify Poison Sumac (with Pictures)

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience.

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia’s Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.

Poison sumac now bears the Latin name Toxicodendron vernix, replacing the older name, Rhus vernix. It often grows next to Cinnamon ferns (Osmunda cinnamomea), marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris), cattails (Typha), and winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata).

What Is Poison Sumac?

Poison sumac is a shrub (some consider it a small tree) that grows in wet areas. All parts of poison sumac are poisonous.

One key to proper identification is studying the shrub’s individual plant parts:

• Leaf (color and shape)
• Berries
• Bark
• Stem (color)

You increase your odds of identification if you know what all of these plant parts look like, rather than knowing the appearance of just one.

A second key to successful identification is learning what the plant looks like from season to season, so you can recognize it when you encounter it during various months. In addition to the practical benefit of knowing what poison sumac looks like in fall, it is also simply enjoyable to view its fall foliage. Its autumn display is every bit as good as the more familiar ones we appreciate from the great fall color trees.

“Entire” Leaflets

The edge, or margin, of poison sumac’s leaflet is considered “entire” in plant-identification terminology, and it displays a midrib of a lighter color. A leaf margin that is entire is smooth; it lacks the “teeth” that the leaf edge of a Roger’s flower (Rodgersia) has, for example.

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Pinnately Compound Leaves

The shape of poison sumac leaves is described by botanists as a “pinnately compound.” “Pinnate” means resembling a feather; “compound” means that, instead of one, unified structure, a plant’s leaf is really composed of multiple leaflets joined by stems. Poison sumac has leaves made up of 7 to 13 leaflets. While the exact number varies, it is always an odd number. That’s because, while most of the leaflets form matching pairs (one across from the other), there’s always one lone leaflet at the tip of the compound leaf, which gives it the shape of a feather.

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Red Stems

The stems of poison sumac leaves further help us to identify the plant. The bright red color of the stems is one of the first things you’d want to look for in the spring to distinguish the shrub from nonpoisonous varieties of sumac.

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Spring and Summer Berries

The berries of poison sumac start out green in spring and remain that color for much of the summer. They grow in clusters that are quite distinct from the berry clusters of nonpoisonous sumacs (Rhus typhina, for example), in terms of color, shape, and texture.

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Oddly Shaped Berries

One distinguishing feature of the berries of poison sumac is that they aren’t perfectly round. Although toxic to the touch for humans, poison sumac berries are not toxic to birds. Many birds, including quail, treat the berries as a food source in winter.

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Fall Berries

The foliage of poison sumac shrub changes its color in fall, as do the berries. Like poison ivy, the color of poison sumac’s mature berry is whitish. The fact that the berry color of these two noxious weeds is so unusual makes it another distinguishing feature.

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Orange Fall Foliage

The fall foliage of poison sumac is magnificent, especially because the leaves don’t all turn the same color at the same time. This makes for some beautiful combinations. When all of the leaves finally do become the same color, that color can be orange, yellow, or red.

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Yellow Fall Foliage

Poison sumac with yellow fall foliage can rival that of birch trees.

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Red Fall Foliage

The most striking single color poison sumac’s fall foliage can become is red, which has a brightness and crispness that rivals the fall foliage of red maple trees, albeit on a smaller scale.

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Mixed Fall Foliage

When the autumn leaves of poison sumac have mixed colors, possible combinations include:

• Yellow and pink
• Red and pink
• Red, pink, and yellow

In all three cases, a tinge of green may remain to add yet another color.

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New Bark

Poison sumac grows to be 6 to 25 feet high. The new bark on the branches is relatively smooth. If you learn how to identify the plant by its bark, then you will be able to avoid coming into contact with poison sumac in winter (after it has lost its leaves).

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Old Bark

The old bark of poison sumac is much rougher in texture than the newer bark.

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A Harmless Relative

Not all sumacs are poisonous. Most sumac shrubs are quite harmless (nonpoisonous) and potentially desirable landscaping elements, which is another reason why you should identify poison sumac properly. There is no reason to pass up the great fall color of nonpoisonous sumac simply because they have “sumac” in their common name. One of the easiest ways to distinguish between the two is by examining the berries or seeds. Nonpoisonous sumac forms its seeds in a red, fuzzy seed tuft that offers some ornamental value. This seed-tuft looks feathery from a distance and is soft to the touch. The seeds are tightly packed within the seed tuft. Wild birds eat the seeds in winter.

Toxicity of Poison Sumac

Poison sumac contains the same toxin, urushiol, that’s found in poison ivy and poison oak, but the toxin is much more concentrated in poison sumac. All parts of the plant contain this toxin, and it even remains active in dead poison sumac plants.

If you need to work with poison sumac in your garden, always wear protective clothing: long sleeves and pants, rubber gloves, and boots. Thoroughly hose down your boots and gloves after you’re done in the garden, and immediately wash your clothes. It’s ideal to take a shower as well just in case there’s some resin on your body.

Watch Now: 8 Facts About Poison Ivy You Need to Know

Article Sources

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1. Poison Sumac. Colorado State University.
2. Beware of Poison Sumac (Rhus Vernix). University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension.