Have you ever heard of toxicodendron? Maybe not, but you’ve probably heard of poison ivy, oak, or sumac – these are the common names for plants of the toxicodendron genus. Toxicodendron literally translates to “poison tree”, and for good reason. The poisonous effects of the urushiol that comes from these plants can be extremely irritating to your skin, causing an itchy rash and/or painful, swollen blisters.
As if you needed more reasons to avoid it, burning toxicodendron can be very bad for your health if the smoke gets into your lungs or eyes. Naturally, your neighbors probably wouldn’t be happy with you if it got into their space, either! If you have these plants on your property and need to remove it, it’s a good idea to handle them with gloves, long sleeves, and pants, and then wash those items immediately after you finish.
While the picture below is probably helpful to you, you could also do an internet search for more images of these plants, so you know what to avoid.
