Poison ivy could be stronger in NC this year. Here’s why and what that means

Poison ivy season is here again, so it’s time to remind ourselves how to stay safe from the itchy greenery — which may get more toxic and widespread as the years pass and the environment changes.

Gardeners, tree climbers, hikers and anyone else can identify poison ivy. Here’s how, the North Carolina Extension Gardner Plant Toolbox says:

• The biggest indicator is a three leaf grouping. The middle leaf is slightly longer than the other two.
• The leaves change from bright, shiny green to red in the fall.
• The plant can grow as a shrub or as a vine, clinging to trees with aerial roots.
• The vines can grow to be 60-150 feet tall.

The toxic component of poison ivy is an oil called urushiol. It causes allergic dermatitis, or severe irritation of the skin. Some people may not experience a response, but the more often you are exposed the more likely one is to develop. Direct contact — or indirect contact through a pet, shoes or smoke inhalation — can cause allergic dermatitis.

Poison oak and sumac

There are other native plants in North Carolina that produce urushiol and cause allergic dermatitis. They can look similar, but not entirely.

• Poison oak is a low-growing shrub with leaflets growing in threes like poison ivy. But leaves more closely resemble oak leaves, rather than the tear-drop shape of poison ivy.
• Poison sumac is a small shrub or tree with 7-13 dark green leaflets.

How to remove poison ivy

To keep your skin safe from painful rash, be cognizant of poison ivy in your yard, and anywhere else you are outside. Wear long pants in wooded areas, and wash your body immediately if exposed. Urushiol is absorbed by the skin within minutes.

Wash the clothes you wore to protect from the vine, as the oil can sit on clothes for a long time and cause irritation.

Be careful of exposure when removing poison ivy. It can be pulled from the earth with gloves and long sleeves or mowed repeatedly. If those steps do not get rid of it, herbicides can be used.

We might be seeing more poison ivy

Climate change may be making poison ivy more toxic in North Carolina, as the plant performs well under conditions with high carbon dioxide levels.

Research done in the 2000s by Duke University showed that an increase in carbon dioxide causes poison ivy to grow faster and produce stronger urushiol.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has shot up 50% since pre-industrial times, including record-breaking carbon dioxide recorded at the seasonal peak in 2025.

William Schlesinger, one of the researchers on that project, said that while he hasn’t researched since to document an increase, those figures would align with the prior Duke study.

“The implication that it would grow faster and it would be more toxic,” Schlesinger said. “I don’t know whether anybody has seen whether poison ivy is more abundant than it used to be, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that had been reported.”

This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 12:05 PM with the headline "Poison ivy could be stronger in NC this year. Here’s why and what that means."

Eva Flowe

The Charlotte Observer

Eva Flowe is a North Carolina native and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. She joined the Charlotte Observer as part of the NC service journalism team in April 2026.