Poison Ivy Drupes

December 20, 2025

These are drupes of Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). A drupe is a succulent fruit surrounded with a very thin outer skin. Within that succulent fruit is a hard pit that contains a single seed. Other examples of drupes are: Peaches, Plums, Cherries, Apricots, Olives, also Avocados. And surprising to realize, Coconuts, Almonds, Pecans and Walnuts are also drupes.

Poison Ivy drupes are a vital winter food source for over sixty species of birds. I often see many different species of Wood Peckers enjoying them.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.