poison ivy

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.