Relax. Virginia creeper is VERY common. It is not even remotely related to poison ivy, though for some reason it gets mistaken for it all the time. It does, however, grow in the same environments as the bad stuff.

Virginia creeper is sold in nurseries in some parts of the country, for it's pretty fall color, and vining habit. There are NO allergy issues with this plant. The least chemical way to get rid of it, should you feel like you have to, is to take it in your bare hands and pull it.

I'm not sure what you have, but I'm rather sure that it is not virginia creeper. I have pulled out lots of it over the last few years and can't recall seeing any with 6 leaves, and definitely none with leaves forming a circle. Try this site for a good picture of virginia creeper: http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=126

If, however, the plant is virginia creeper it can easily be pulled up. I'll do it barehanded if I'm just touching up a spot, but usually I wear gloves because one does not know what other plants might be in the handfull that I grab.

poision ivy has leaves of three. virginia creeper has leaves of five. virginia creeper is a native vine that is desirable if you are a native gardener. it has nice fall color and its fruited berries attract birds too. it can be very aggressive and some people do hate it because it spreads aggressively via rhizomes in the right conditions. it also is a vine and will grow up a tree fairly quickly. but it also spreads on the ground too.

The seedlings of virginia creeper and poison ivy look similar to me because they both can have leaves of three at this stage. But I now can finally recognize the difference. The first leaves of the VC are larger and rounder shaped. The first leaves of Ivy are shaped like ivy leaves. I bring plastic bags out to the garden with me and use them as a glove to pull ivy then toss the tied bag in the garbage.

Thanks everybody. I have come to the conclusion that it is Virginia Creeper. I was at the library yesterday, and they had a picture of it in one of the magazines--I think Organic Gardening in an article about poison ivy. I truly appreciate all of the information I get on this forum. Thanks again - Barb

Va. Creeper is said to cause contact dermatitis in some people. It is not, however, caused by the same oil that makes poison ivy so hideous. I use roundup on it, it's hard to get the roots out otherwise. Creeper tends to grow in the same environments that poison ivy likes and they sometimes grow together.

Hey! This innocent Virginia Creeper has landed me 4 rounds of steroids and one hospitalization. The hospitalization was an anaphlactic reaction where my face, eyes and windpipe swelled an incredible amount. Maybe everyone isn't as allergic as me, but everyone I know that has come in contact with it has gotten a rash at least. But, my it turns a lovely shade in the fall...

I could until recently pull up PI with bare hands but not Virginia Creeper. Will leave water filled blisters where it touches if I don't rinse off my skin immediately. Sometimes even then. One thing I have found about VC is that if you pull on the plant sap can be released by the end of stems and rash will show up in very odd places.

My husband and I are both highly sensitive to Virginia Creeper, and break out in a rash within days of coming in contact with the vine if we're not careful. If the itching from the rash wasn't so awful, I would have laughed when I read the post that said, "Relax, it's very common" and "there are NO allergy issues with this plant." Just because it doesn't bother some people, does not mean it's harmless. Although it seems to affect a small percentage of the population, if you're one of them - watch out!

Here's something you may not know; you can be affected by it in the winter. We just found this out the hard way. Last week, on a 30 degree day, we took down a huge, dead oak that had a huge vine growing around it. (Parts of it were the diameter of a baseball! I had never seen anything so large.) Anyway - as there were no leaves (remember this is December) and there were brown tendrils all over, I assumed it was Grape vine. While he was cutting sections of the trunk with the chain saw, I was pulling off parts of the vine and moving the logs to another area to be picked up. Long story short - I was wrong. It wasn't Grape vine - it was Virginia Creeper. He has a rash on the tops of both wrists (between his gloves and his sleeves) and I have a rash on the top of one wrist, the bottom of other and in several places on my neck. (My scarf fell down in front of my face several times, and I re-wound it. I'm thinking that anywhere on my neck that my gloves touched - that's where I was exposed to the insidious creeper.)

Wow. I had no idea that VAC could be so harmful. :( I loved mine because the hummingbirds had a field day with it. I have never seen so many hummingbirds in all my life! I'm not allergic to poison ivy so I guess that's why the VAC didn't bother me either? Not sure.

It's rather ironic too because I'm allergic to metal (I can't even wear hypoallergenic/pure gold earrings even) and have terribly sensitive skin, but not to poison ivy and apparently VAC! Go figure.

Good Lord! All this sure doesn't sound like my Virginia Creeper, except for all the good stuff! Last fall I was pulling the now leafless vines and a neighbor begged me not to "get rid of it" because he always admires the beautiful red each year. I explained it comes right back and I was just cleaning up for winter.

I have a rash on my hands right now. The only thing that could have caused it was Virginia Creeper. This is why I was looking it up on the web. It was the only thing growing on our fence near the gate so, no, there wasn't any poison ivy mixed in. I rooted it out before without any ill effects but this time I just trimmed it away from the gate. I have a rash on my left hand where I was grabbing it and trimming it and on my right where the cut ends touched. It also affected anywhere I had broken skin which leads me to suspect the oxalate crystals more than just the sap like poison ivy. Itchy as all get out. Been suffering for days now. Soaking in Burrow's solution is what gave me relief.

Yes, although Va creeper doesn't have urishiol, (the oil in poison ivy, oak, or sumac that causes the famous rash) it's very common for people to report allergic reactions from it. As well as juniper and nightshade.

I am glad to see I am not the only one sensitive to Virginia Creeper. I am covered with blister from my dogs. I found a big patch growing in the dog pen and they were playing in it. I can pull poison ivy out with no side effects but Virginia Creeper is to me like poison ivy is to my husband. I know that some areas Virginia creeper comes under the same category as poison ivy.

Aug 13, 2011, kids found the cool berries growing on the privacy fence around the pool. They mixed up pretend cocktails with the berry clusters and pieces of the plants and had a lot of fun squeezing the juice out of the berries while jumping in and out of the pool.
Then, within an hour, two of the 4 were overwhelmed with miserable itching all over. A third had mild itching. The fourth (only boy who wasn't involved as much in the game) has no itching. Too soon to know if there's going to be blisters and rashes, but Virginia Creeper is absolutely NOT harmless to everyone. Birds love the berries though.

I'm now moving into a house that obviously had a great yard years and years ago, but has been neglected for a long time.

I've been poisoning, cutting, and ripping out all kinds of invasives- poisonivy, privet, English ivy, briars of various sorts, and Virginia Creeper/Woodbine. I'm scared of poison ivy because of the horrid reaction I have from it, but so far have no effects from Woodbine.

To remove it, I have just been pulling it out, and it comes pretty easily until I get to the root. When I get to the root, I pull as much of it out as I can, and then spray what's left of the root system with brush killer. It's a lot of work, but only because of the quantity. I don't know if it will come back or not, but I have seen some gratitude already from surrounding plants and plants they were climbing on.

...I could choke whomever introduced it to that yard. Privet & English Ivy too...

Different people have different reactions to many plants, insects, and vapors. Numerous plants can cause allergic reactions in people, it depends on a number of things about that persons immune system. Any allergic reaction is you immune system overreacting to something that you were exposed to, and it can happen to anyone at anytime. For many people Benedril is enough to control the hives that accompany their reaction while others of us need a plastic bubble with HEPA filters filtering the air we breath because we react to about everything.
Those of you allergin free count your blessings, but never discount what someone says causes an allergic reaction in them.

"Relax. Virginia creeper is VERY common. It is not even remotely related to poison ivy, though for some reason it gets mistaken for it all the time."

Unfortunately for my five year old helper and me - Virginia Creeper is an issue. We both developed a rash anywhere that we weren't covered. It' s not poison ivy but it does contain oxalate crystals and this is what the dermatologist said caused our rash. It;s been 2 weeks and we still have it - he has been better than good old Mom at not scratching the rash.

As a family doc, I have seen rashes caused by innumerable allergens, from the common, like bee stings and poison ivy, to the unbelievabl, like Benadryl. Every one should take a certain amount of care when allowing exposure to potential allergens--even the sun can cause rashes. Most importantly is that each person be aware of their own known irritants and do what they can to avoid them. But, please don't let these reactions create fear in you or others that might prevent some one from enjoying a healthful walk in the woods. Just be prepared and call your doctor if you develop a significant reaction. He/she can provide you with an Epipen for possible anaphylactic reactions, or provide you with a short burst of oral steroids to help with rashes,if they are present in multiple locations. Don't let allergies terrorize you into missing out on the good stuff in life.

Martha, MD

Virginia Creeper seeding from airplanes all across the Southern States, wherever it grows, is a recent phenomenon. Why I suspect it's been seeded from airplanes, because my properties that are miles apart they never had Virginia creeper growing there for many years, none. Then last spring 2012 big boom of Virginia creeper on all properties. One would suspect wind, but on the tallest 30 foot palm there was Virginia Creeper growing, but then months later, it's all dried up. Which means the seed came from above, tried to grow on the palm tree and declined. Naturally it does not happen. Why would they seed VC all over? It's known to absorb CO2 and make shade, but it also kills trees by shading and suffocating them. No trees no life. There are certain entities interested destroying life on Earth and controlling food and rain supply. Thus now we get either weeks of rain or weeks of drought.

Not planes, but something that also flies......birds!

Seeds in poop...........sprout into vines...........

Not planes, but something that also flies......birds!

Seeds in poop...........sprout into vines...........

OK, birds. But we always had birds and they always spread the same seeds. We never had Virginia creeper on our properties for decades and then in 2012... boom, big time, even on roofs.

I realize these post are fairly old, however, I must correct everyone on here that has no idea about how toxic Virginia Creeper can be. First of all, it has the same poisonous oil that Poisoin Ivy has, just not the one you're mentioning. It's oxalate crystals that people can be allergic to. I'm so highly allergic it's not funny. And when I say allergic, I'm not talking about reaction. Some people can roll in Poisoin Ivy, Poisoin Sumac, Poisoin Oak, and Virginia Creeper and have no problems. Not even the slightest itch. Others, can have a reaction, followed by a rash and itching. And then.... There's those of us that are allergic to it. I literally have to head straight to the Emergency Room, to get a shot of Benadryl and prednisone, followed by a week of Prednisone and Atarax. So... Yes...... People can be allergic to it, proceed with caution when handling it. And yes.... It is a beautiful plant, beautiful but deadly, for some...

I am struggling with my outbreak to Virginia Creeper right now, been 10 days, now on Prednisone and have a new fine rash on my neck. This is not even funny and I was not aware that I had been exposed till after the fact. I am miserable and look quite horrid. The house next to us looks like a refuse for VC, they have it all over their house, climbing into the chimney. It is taking over worse than kudzu.

The rash from VAC is what I have now, 96.8 % sure. I was pullin weeds with my bare hands. Rash has been present on my wet willy if you know what I'm saying for about 5 days and is getting Worse Worse worse! I'm an Italian guy with sensitive skin and emotions. Damn I should've quit smoking cigs a long long time ago.... Anyways I also have it on my wrists and face and I SWEAR to God the rashes seem to be creeping up my arm just like the plant. Very intense itchiness as if someone injected me with the plant. On my neck and eyes I woke up the other night and looked down and my wet willy was swollen. I had to run to walmart because I didn't want to scratch off the skin. It's getting miserably worse. It's hard to believe how the oils or whatever burrow into the skin and spread like wildfire. It's not just a rash there are BLISTeRS EvERYWHere I thought God cursed me. I thought I had lymphoma or something. Blisters on my eyelids man I'm going crazy! And my mothers like I Want Michael To Finish Pulling the Weeds. No No No More. I'm done with the job 43ver

Well I fought the rash for a week, went on Prednisone for three weeks only to have it become systemic. Underlying rash on neck and chest where I had no blisters from the Virginia Creeper. It is horrible and for those that say it cannot casue a rash, think again.

Anything can cause a rash if you are sensitive to it, and you guys obviously are horribly sensitive. I hope it gets better soon,.Michael, you should go to your doctor, and please use gloves next time!!

I had no idea that VAC could cause such terrible reactions.
Michael, I feel you. I'm currently experiencing a similar rash due to poison ivy, though not on my most sensitive parts. In fact, I scratched a fair bit of skin off of my arms and legs in the shower this morning, and had to wrap up in gauze because I was so bloody.

I'm on prednisone, but I've also found that Zyrtec has been reasonably helpful with the itchiness. Also Jewelweed (Impatiens) has been somewhat effective in controlling the rash.

The best thing is prevention, though: cover up with long sleeves, gloves and long pants. Even if it's hot.

I do still wonder if some of the rashes that are attributed to VAC are actually urushiol (oil on Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac). The symptoms sound very similar.

I get awful rashes from both VA and poison ivy! I hate them both!

A great many people develop reactions to Virginia creeper - it is very well documented. In fact, since it is so often mistaken for poison ivy, it may very well be that many skin reactions attributed to PI are really associated with VC. The most noticeable difference is that contact dermatitis reactions from PI tend to be delayed 24-48 hours while reactions generated by VC are immediate and can be equally severe.

Many, many plants contain raphids and saponins, substances within the plant tissue/sap that can cause both internal and external reactions. Not everyone is sensitive to these substances externally and those who are sensitive can have varying degrees of reactions. In some cases, reactions can cause permanent scarring and even blindness. And some of the plants that can generate these reactions are common and quite mundane - junipers, marigolds, hyacinth bulbs, English ivy, rue, figs, euphorbias and a whole host of different houseplants.

matt's suggestion is excellent: "The best thing is prevention, though: cover up with long sleeves, gloves and long pants. Even if it's hot." And if you know you are sensitive or prone to contact dermatitis, knowing what plants to avoid can be helpful. The attached link explains how the reaction occurs and what plants may generate these types of reactions.

Plants that can rub you the wrong way.

And one of our GW regulars has complied a list of plants that have the potential to cause these reactions. I would not consider it completely definitive - there are many plants that can cause these issues and the more you are sensitive to contact dermatitis, the more plants are likely to be suspect. But it's a good place to start.

Mystery rashes and associated plants

It literally tore me up, I have a little blisters all over my feet and legs from Weed eating the stuff wearing only a pair of shorts . I am somewhat sensitive to poison ivy and other allergens but never knew about Virginia creeper. I came into contact with it on a Saturday morning and did not realize I had a problem until Sunday night. So far I'm using some topical scrubs that are designed for poison ivy and tonight (5 days since contact) , I've started using calamine lotion as it is still very bad !

ok I have a question we just moved and we have all walked the property and we don't break out from anything, My husband was weeding and broke out like crazy any time he does we figured poison ivy as there is some of that out there.

So we bought my 9 year old something to weeded with NOW him and my Daughter walks around this in shorts all the time there all over in the woods and NOTHING until my son weeded them bam he breaks out.

The doctor said that it can't be poison ivy as it has to touch skin and when he is working in the yard he wears long pants and long sleeve shirt. One doctor told my husband that it was in his blood stream which is why it was so bad, My son's pedi told me yesterday that we have Virginia creeper here and that was the FIRST TIME I EVER HEARD OF THIS... now looking at what is around the property and the pictures from VC i'm thinking it is more VC then PI but can they break out only by weeding and not by walking through it??????

thanks for any advice

You can get by just touching a dog/cat that has walked through it, the sap is what causes the outbreak and the really sad thing about it, even Roundup cannot kill it. Have sprayed a large path in a mulch bed 6x in 5 weeks and it just keeps coming. Make sure to wash all clothes/shoes that come in contact with it. Shower immediately after weeding.

We do that but he walks through it all the time and nothing only when he after he has weeded

well the more you get the rash, I think the more you are sensitized. My nephew works on pulling ours, with gloves on, but does not get it. All I know is if I see it, I almost start itching. It is horrible, no way to get rid of it entirely and some people even use it as a groundcover, imagine that.

I never knew anything of this VC until yesterday and I started to weeded on Monday night and yet NOTHING on me, I wear long pants and short sleeve shirt, my husband wears long pants long sleeve shirt and I just got this thing that he can wet and put over his face(except eyes) thinking maybe he was inhaling it which is why they were breaking out, I've got some stuff that I have to get from my contactor and he says it will KILL EVERYTHING. I know we have MORE of this CRAP then we do have PI around the house. They gave my son and husband some steroids to take to help get rid of it

Some 15 years ago I developed an allergy to PI and did some research - a vast majority of people will develop the allergy to PI after repeated exposures. I've been an "outdoorsy" person all my life, know I have inadvertently walked into it, but never had a reaction until I was 40+. Got it off the dog who chased a rabbit thru it. Now, after many years of pulling VC off our fence and spraying it with bush kill, I have a reaction to VC. I was wearing gloves but had on a short sleeve t-shirt. Some of the pulled out vines got on my arm, thus sap got on my arm. With PI, urushiol is on the surface of the leaves and stems, so contact with the plant leaves oil on the skin. But the oil evaporates into the air, so very sensitive people can manifest a reaction by being in close proximity to poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac. Zanfel is the only product that was effective for me. It neutralizes the oil in the skin. Follow directions carefully and it really works. Expensive ($35.00 per 1 oz tube) but worth every penny. One tube was enough to clear up blisters on both legs and arms, neck and lower face.

On my allergic reaction to VC, the Zanfel has been helpful but much less effective, because it's not made for this application. I've used CalaGel, Ivarest (CalaDryl), washing with a variety of soaps, AloeVera pure gel, and ice packs - all with tempory relief. The Aloe and ice packs help relief the burning and itching the most but can't keep ice on it as much as I would like. The pain wakes me up at night so I've been sleeping with an ice pack.

I suppose it's time to see the doctor, maybe need steriods. Thanks to all who have commented about your experience with VC - one of the weeds from hell.

Matt - I'm going to check out jewelweed. Can you tell me more about it?

Do not think this plant is so innocent. I am highly allergic to it not to poison ivy though. My eyes closed up, face swollen . Very allergic to it. Highly was on all types of medications when younger ... now I have some on my leg I hope it is not really severe again. Good luck with this devil some are highly allergic .

Thank you for this searchable thread. Always been sensitive to poison ivy, but this year new rashes on my wrists have made me suspicious of Virginia Creeper, that both me and my dog have been coming in contact with a lot. I always thought it was completely safe, so I left it and freely touched for pruning, but glad to know based on these symptoms I am apparently allergic to this now, too. Time to eradicate this in my yard just like poison ivy. I originally blamed the rashes on this, but the non typical wrist-only rash made me suspicious it was something else. This discussion confirmed it.

Jewel weed - It usually grows close to poison ivy, Virginia creeper, poison oak, etc. My mother has actually transplanted jewel week plants to her garden. She has lots of it. She takes the leaves, brews a tea, and freezes the tea in ice cubes. Then you use the jewel weed ice cube to rub on your rash. Not just PI, VC or PO. It can be used on many different skin rashes. It even works on baby diaper rash! The JW tea does stain clothing, so be careful. One important thing to remember is to NOT drink the JW tea. She bags up the JW ice cubes and shares with us all. Sometimes if my mom feels a skin issue coming up, she just plucks a fresh leaf off the JW plant, squeezes the leaf, and rubs it directly on that spot. It works even when fresh! Like many people have said in this link, it doesn't really matter if a professional says a particular plant doesn't cause allergic reactions....if you are allergic to something, you will have a reaction, even if others don't. Just try to be aware of plants that cause you problems and be careful around them.

I just tasted a wild grape on my property. It tasted horrible so I spit it out. Soon I felt a stinging feeling inside and around my mouth. I came in the house and looked it up on the internet to find that I just bit into a Virginia Creeper! Then I read how toxic they are to humans and 2 ounces of the berries can be fatal. It's been 20 minutes and nothing else has happened. The stinging is gone and I feel fine. I wish I had known these weren't edible to humans before I tasted it ! Has anyone else done this? I may get rid of these before I have my grandchildren over!