Look closerPlants
Virginia creeper and poison ivy: the first vines to turn red in fall
When: September to October
Weeks before the trees commit, two climbing vines light up: Virginia creeper goes deep crimson and poison ivy turns orange and red, both while everything behind them is still green.
Why this time of year
Massachusetts fall color starts with early changers in mid-to-late September, and these two vines are among the first, so a red streak up a tree trunk or along a stone wall in those weeks is almost certainly one of them.
How to notice it
- Scan tree trunks, fences, and stone walls for a run of red leaves against green.
- Count leaflets before touching anything: Virginia creeper has five, poison ivy has three.
- Leaflets three, let it be: red fall poison ivy is just as rash-giving as green summer poison ivy.
- Once you can tell them apart, count how many of each you pass on one walk.
Try this with kids: Find a red vine and count its leaflets from a step away: five or three?
a leaflet is one of the small leaf parts that together make up a compound leaf
Safety
- Poison ivy's oil is in every part of the plant, stays active in fall, and even dead vines can cause the rash for years, so identify before you touch anything red.
- About 85 percent of people react to it; teach the three-leaflet check rather than testing your luck.
Sources
- massaudubon.orgVirginia creeper often becomes vibrantly red while its surroundings are still green, and poison ivy also quickly picks up a rainbow of colors; early changes occur as early as mid-to-late September in Massachusetts.
- umass.eduLeaflets three, let it be; urushiol is found in all parts of the plant, is released when the plant is crushed or bruised, persists in dormant and dead plants, and can remain potent for years; in fall the leaflets turn a vivid orange, red and yellow.
- reconnectwithnature.orgPoison ivy has three leaflets to Virginia creeper's five, an easy way to tell them apart; Virginia creeper adds to the fall color show with leaves turning bright red; urushiol is the oily substance causing the reaction and approximately 85 percent of people are allergic to it.
In the guide for September, October