Toxicodendron radicans, commonly known as
eastern poison ivy or
poison ivy is a poisonous
North American and
Asian flowering plant that is well known for causing an itching, irritating, and sometimes painful
rash in most people who touch it, caused by
urushiol, a clear liquid compound in the
sap of the plant. The species is variable in its appearance and habit, and despite its common name it is not a true
ivy (
Hedera).
Toxicodendron radicans is commonly eaten by many animals, and the seeds are consumed by birds, but poison ivy is most often thought of as an unwelcome
weed.