Poison Sumac is a shrub or small tree of sphagnum bogs, swampy woods, and wet forests that causes a more severe rash than poison ivy in sensitive individuals. It has pinnately compound leaves (unlike three-leaflet poison ivy) and drooping clusters of gray-white berries. The berries are eaten by many birds, who are unaffected by the urushiol.
Best time to see a Poison Sumac
The best time to see a Poison Sumac is May–August, when about 63% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 4,848 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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