Stop calling every leaf on my porch poison ivy, it's just Virginia creeper

Three different neighbors have warned me about the vine climbing my fence over the last month. Each time I walk over, look at it, and explain the leaf clusters are five leaflets, not three. Poison ivy has three leaflets, Virginia creeper has five, and it turns red in the fall which is pretty nice honestly. I get why people mix them up, both climb and both are everywhere around here in Ohio, but I wish someone had just shown me a side by side photo years ago instead of me figuring it out after a gardening class downtown. Has anyone else had to argue with a neighbor about this one, or am I the only one who keeps a plant ID app open just to settle fence disputes?

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sagelane21d ago

Funny you say that, but honestly the neighbors might have a point. Virginia creeper still has urushiol in the sap, same irritant as poison ivy, just in lower amounts. I grabbed a handful once pulling it off a trellis and my forearms looked like a bad sunburn for a week. Those five leaflets don't make it harmless, they just make it less obvious. Also the vines get thick and woody and can actually damage fence boards over time, so people warning you aren't totally off base. Maybe let the plant ID app take a backseat and just wear gloves next time you clear it.