We have one poison oak plant that has grown in our perennial garden. I can't pull it up by the roots, it is too tight. I thought there was a spray tha...
Knowledgebase
Getting rid of poison oak #869841
Asked May 23, 2024, 6:45 PM EDT
We have one poison oak plant that has grown in our perennial garden. I can't pull it up by the roots, it is too tight. I thought there was a spray that would kill it?
Wayne CountyMichigan
Expert Response
There are broadleaf herbicides that will work however there is a risk that when sprayed it could drift onto nearby plants damaging them.
In this article under the control section, you will find suggestions for controlling it without spraying. Control methods for poison ivy and poison oak will be similar.
To open the link you need to copy and paste it. I would recommend looking at the example photos in this article. For some reason only the first part of the link is clickable and it drops the "(002).pdf" portion. If you are unable to copy and paste, search "Michigan Poison Ivy E3438" in your browser search engine.
That being said, neither of these are poison ivy or poison oak. Poison ivy/oak are closely related and look similar but poison oak does not grow in Michigan.
The first photo is English Ivy, and is best controlled by hand removing and digging, and then spot treating with herbicide if necessary. It is not related to poison ivy and only has the word "ivy" in common.
The second is possibly an invasive Callery Pear that just needs to be dug up.
