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This article discusses what a poison oak rash looks like. It also looks at the treatment options available, how to identify poison oak, and how a person can help prevent the rash.
What Does Poison Oak Rash Look Like? Poison oak rash usually appears as red, itchy raised bumps on the skin, although some people report black lumps or streak instead, or experience both. Usually, the rash shows up in a few hours, but in some cases can take as long as 2 to 3 weeks, especially if this is your first time being exposed to the plant.
Poison oak rash is an allergic reaction to the leaves or stems of the western poison oak plant (Toxicodendron diversilobum). The plant looks like a leafy shrub and can grow up to...
Poison oak looks similar, but the leaves are larger and more rounded like an oak leaf. They have a textured, hairy surface. There may be groups of three, five, or seven leaves.
Look at the leaves. Poison oak, whether it is growing as a shrub or a climbing vine, has a trifoliate leaf structure. This means that the leaves grow in sets of threes off the stem. The edges of the leaves have a wavy or scalloped appearance. As the name suggests, the leaves look a bit like oak leaves.
A poison oak plant can have up to nine leaflets, although three leaflets are most common. The plants grow in sun and shade in mixed evergreen forests, woodlands, chaparral, and riparian areas.
Learn how to spot poison oak, tell the difference between poison oak and poison ivy, and treat a poison oak rash with The Old Farmer's Almanac Guide.