How to Remove Poison Oak From Your Yard So It Never Comes Back

Nothing puts a damper on spending time in your yard like realizing you, your kids, or your pets have stumbled into a patch of poison oak. For people (and animals) who are allergic to the oils secreted by this plant, the resulting rash can turn an afternoon of gardening, exploring, or fetching into a miserable experience.

Removing patches of poison oak keeps your yard safer while allowing other plants to spread and thrive in your garden. While removing every part of the plant—down to the root—can be difficult, we spoke to experts who shared their tips for safely and successfully removing poison oak from your yard. 

How to Identify Poison Oak

Like poison ivy and poison sumac, poison oak secretes an oily substance called urushiol, which causes an itchy, unpleasant rash in most people, but not everyone. "The most important thing is to be able to recognize it," says Pamela J Bennett, director of the State Master Gardener Program and horticulture educator at Ohio State University Extension. "While the leaflets may resemble an oak leaf, it is not a true oak. The leaflets are arranged in groups of threes, connected to the stem, and the stalk of the central leaflet is longer than those of the other two." The plant can grow as a shrub or as a vine that creeps up buildings, trees, and trellises.  

Look for leaves that are 1 to 4 inches long and have "toothed to somewhat lobed edges," says Bennett. The ends are more rounded than the pointed leaves of poison ivy and emerge in green or light red hues, turning scarlet in the fall. "They have small, whitish-green flowers attached at the point where leaves attach to the stem," says Bennett. "Some might confuse it with Boston ivy, Virginia creeper, boxelder, and other sumacs—it is a vigorous plant that can hide among other plants."

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How to Remove Poison Oak From Your Yard

You can remove poison oak from your yard by hand or with an herbicide. No matter which method you choose, wear protective gear, including long sleeves, gloves, long pants, and boots, to minimize your chances of an allergic reaction.

Remove by Hand

You can remove poison oak by hand as long as you do not touch your face or any bare skin while working with the plant. "When plants are young, it’s easy to pull them after a rain when the soil is friable," says Bennett. "For larger plants, you need to dig to get the entire root system, or there will be regrowth; monitor for any regrowth and remove as soon as possible." Wash your hands, any exposed skin, and the clothes you were wearing as soon as the job is finished, she says. 

Remove With Herbicides

Using an herbicide is another way to treat poison oak. According to Bennett, this method is most effective in the fall before the leaves change color. "If the plant is large or the vine is up in a tree, cut the roots about a month before application; the part above the cut dies and can be removed," she says. "Spray the new growth in the fall for best control. Poison oak is taking sugars down into the roots at this time to store up for winter, so herbicides are absorbed more readily.”

Choose an herbicide product labeled for poison oak and apply according to the directions (you may need multiple applications for larger plants, says Bennett). Check the ingredients: "Glyphosate is most effective in the fall, and products containing triclopyr can be used from spring to fall," she says. 

How to Dispose of Poison Oak

Once the poison oak is pulled from the ground, dispose of it carefully. Poison oak should never go in your compost bin or pile, says Bennett. You also should never burn it, as the rash-inducing oils can cause an allergic reaction in your throat if you inhale the smoke. Instead, bag it and put it in your trash.