NPS Photo by Lee Ferguson

NPS Photo

Photo © Alicia Lafever

NPS Photo by Lee Ferguson

Photo © Alicia Lafever

Photo © Alicia Lafever

Poison Ivy

Toxicodendron rydbergii

Family: Anacardiaceae – Cashew Family

Dioecious shrubs; 3.9” to 11.8” (1 to 3 dm) tall or more

Leaves: alternate; compound; 3 leaflets; the terminal leaflet is 0.8” to 4.4” (2 to 11 cm) long, 0.6” to 4” (1.5 to 10 cm) wide; can have hairs

Flowers: 5 whitish to yellowish petals with dark veins, 0.08” to 0.12” (2 to 3 mm) long; 5 sepals; stamens usually 5 or 10; flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant)

Pollinators: other genera in this family are pollinated by insects (specifically bees)

Fruits: cream to yellow drupes

Blooms in Arches National Park: May, June

Habitat in Arches National Park: riparian communities

Location seen: Fiery Furnace, outside Arches National Park in Negro Bill Canyon

Other: The genus name, “Toxicodendron”, means “poison tree” and the species name, “rydbergii”, honors Per Axel Rydberg (1860-1931), a plant taxonomist and the first curator of The New York Botanical Garden Herbarium whose specialty was the flora of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains areas.

Caution: Rubbing against this plant can produce severe dermatitis in sensitive people. All the parts, including smoke from fires containing it, should be avoided by everyone.