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Home, landscape, and structural pest news from the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program
Suburban Neighborhood
Comments:
by Allen Buchinski
on July 9, 2021 at 2:02 PM
"Leaves of three" is a nice mnemonic device, but the UC Poison Oak Pest Note says "Although uncommon, leaves can occasionally have five or seven leaflets, and in rare cases nine". It goes on to say "The diversity in leaf size and shape accounts for the Latin term diversilobum in the species name."  
 
The Santa Clara Master Gardener Help Desk had a five-lobed photo submitted for ID last year,. Unfortunately, it was initially misidentified due to that mnemonic. I'd attach the photo if this form would let me. :-)
 
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