Virginia Tech Dendrology

poison-oak Anacardiaceae Toxicodendron pubescens Mill. symbol: TOPU2
Leaf: Alternate, compound with 3 leaflets, 7 to 10 inches long; very shiny above, velvety beneath. The leaflets are lobed resembling a white oak. TOXIC.
Flower: Small, yellowish in clusters, appearing in early spring. TOXIC.
Fruit: Greenish white, 1/4 inch in diameter in tight clusters, appearing in late spring. TOXIC.
Twig: Slender, gray-brown, slightly fuzzy or glabrous; naked light brown buds are velvety. TOXIC.
Bark: Smooth, light brown. TOXIC.
Form: Always erect, reaching a height of ten feet but usually shorter (2 to 4 feet).
Looks like: poison-ivy - fragrant sumac - skunkbush sumac - Pacific poisonoak

Additional Range Information: Toxicodendron pubescens is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information