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|Submitted by: Lucia Doughty
Date Submitted: May 8, 2003
Location: not given
Question Asked: Can you tell me what this plant is and if it is poisonous?
Answer: This plant I know well as it can be quite invasive here. This is Virginia Creeper. Key identifying characteristics include 5 leaflets on a palmated leaf, the characteristics of the tendrils, toothed leaves. You can find more information on here on Virginia Creeper
Virginia Creeper is not poisonous in the same sense as poison ivy or other members of the Toxicondendron family. It does though contain oxalate crystals and can be a skin irritant to some and is definitely an irritant if eaten. Many of the references I've come across do not list Virginia Creeper as a skin irritant (the California Poison Control System does though) so it probably is not a major irritant for most.