Leaves of three, let it be. That’s the common expression to avoid run-ins with poison ivy and poison oak — common toxic-to-the-touch plants found in North Carolina’s Triangle area and beyond. Virginia ...

Virginia creeper is a nontoxic native Virginia vine that is often mistaken for poison ivy. Poison ivy has three leaves and no briars.

I once thought I was among the 20% of humans who experience no ill effects from poison ivy. But a visit to southern Illinois years ago proved me wrong. Itchy skin with blisters plagued me for weeks.

Anyone cleaning out overgrown areas or even just weeding should beware. Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) may be growing among the plants you are handling. It pays to be able to identify this plant, ...