Every year hundreds of people fall victim to poison ivy, oak and sumac, according to the tree experts at T & L Tree and Landscape. Their team is considered by many to be New York’s top tree chopping service and has been performing emergency tree removal, tree planting and lot clearing miracles for the last 50 years. Additionally, they know all about the wilds and want you to how to best stay away from annoying burns of the poison variety.

And as if it wasn’t tricky enough, to make matters worse, there are always going to be some slight variations in growth thanks to weather changes, seasons and climates. However, if you’re vigilant and pay attention to these tips, T & L is confident you’ll have better luck avoiding this poisonous trifecta:

• Poison Ivy: The old saying, “If it comes in three, let it be” is still true today. When you see a three-pronged leaf on any bush, vine or tiny sprout, steer clear. Keep in mind, it can be shiny and bright green in spring, brown colored in fall and can even have smooth edges just as well as jagged ones, but poison ivy will almost always have a strong point at the tip.
• Poison Oak: Like ivy, poison oak can grow as a bush, vine around a tree, or in a weed-like sprout; and, again, if you see leaves in pairs of three, stay away. The leaves themselves can look similar to oak as far as shape in that the edges are wavy, but they can also be sharp and jagged. Depending on the season, it’ll come in different colors. But in spring, you can easily identify it by its tiny yellow flowers.
• Poison sumac: Unlike oak and ivy, sumac is a wooded bush, so when viewing the stalks, you’ll see it looking wooden in appearance. Also, sumac has long stems with anywhere between 13–17 leaves arranged in long paired rows that fall on either side of the stem. However, the leaves aren’t clustered and the bush always looks sparse. Crucially important, however, is to never burn your poisonous sumac, as the smoke can be fatal.

Remember that just because you see animals eating any of the above, it does not mean it’s safe. When cases of exposure are severe, especially with exposure to sumac smoke, seek medical attention.

When you need a team to perform miracles in lawn care, emergency tree removal and lot clearing, call T & L Tree and Landscape at (585) 223-3190 or visit them on Facebook or online.