The new leaves are so pretty - if this plant didn't irritate so many people, I know they would be cultivating it. It's pretty in the spring, some have leaves that gorgeous scalloped edges and then the color in the fall is fantastic. Plus the birds adore the berries. But yep, poison ivy.

Thanks guys for the information. oldtimer I'm not quitting with the composting, it just won't be a pretty compost pile like some of the photos I see in this site. If I decide to house a small goat, I have a larger dog kennel that I intend to keep it when it is not outside "working" eradicating the poison oak, poison ivy and, yes, we have poison sumac too, the goat will have to stay in the dog kennel. I will be outside to make sure the goat is safe for we have seen coyatoes walk through the yard. The goat will be borrowed just for the purpose of a safe way to get rid of the poison mess. Kimmsr, I went to fire ant control site and realized that we need to fight the ants in the fall, probably all year in North Ga area. The fire ants were here when we brought the property, which surprised me for it was a vacant hill top property, but the previous owners had a tomato garden up here. I suppose the ants could have been brought in to the area in tomato plants? Anyway, thanks guys, and I will be careful when fighting the poisons out there. I have to suit up to work in the yard, complete with long sleeves, long pants with my socks over the top of the pant legs. Plus, of course gloves. Reason: Ants love me, they seem to track me down, plus I'm sensitive to poison sumac and hubby is very sensitive to the other two. The socks pulled over the top of the pant legs is to ensure no ants crawl into my clothing. We have mean fire ants in GA.

Oooh so sorry!!!!! Awful stuff. To ID later... Spray paint pink after the herbicide dries? Take pics? Put a little sign for yourself back there, to remind? Have someone else do it? Pull sprouts more often? Not everything in nature makes sense, but this cruel trick of still poisonous dead leaves and vines is especially perplexing to me. The only acceptable disposal for me, this yard, is plastic bag sent to landfill. We recycle and compost, but that's not an option for something that has the potential to make me so sick for an unknown amount of time past its' death. Do not burn, urishiol can become airborne this way.

Both are quite variable in leaf shape. Hortus III defines them with the same botanical name, Rhus radicans and or R. toxicodendron. Anyway, for sure #2 is poison ivy.