The one with 5 leaflets is Virginia Creeper, which can also have 3 or 7 leaflets. I don't believe Poison Ivy ever has 5 leaflets. But the two plants can and will grow right next to each other. It's worth double-checking that the 3-leaflet and 5-leaflet parts really come from the same plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: Virginia Creeper can masquerade as Poison Ivy

Thanks for the response...I looked at that vine for 5 full minutes in dis-belief. Here is a pic of where the two different types join to one. The three leaf is to the right, the five is to the left.

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There looks to be a distinct difference once that split is made, there is only 3 leaf on the offshoot that goes to the right.

Its almost as if the virginia creeper has adapted itself to look like poison ivy for defense. It's doing a good job of it if this is what is happening here.

Anyone know whats going on here? I'd like to pull this but need to know if its the evil ivy or not. Anyone...Bueller?

Well, I just responded to another post that I believe I have virginia creeper, and jeepers creepers (couldn't resist), it looks a heck of a lot like your pics. P.I. wouldn't be as toothy as V.C., I don't think. To me, that just doesn't look glossy enough to be P.I.

For what it's worth, I pulled some of the creeper out and didn't get a rash. :-)

The three leaf looks like poison oak. Virginia creeper looks great in the fall but spreads like crazy where I am and I find it to be a nuisance. Also, I have poison oak EVERYWHERE! Good luck.

I have Virginia Creeper , and it does Creep all over. As I pulled runners this spring I found some with 3 leaves, my first thought was Poison Ivy. I followed the vine back to the mother vine and found the Virginia Creeper. I have been digging the stuff out for 8 years.

I've seen young leaves on Virginia Creeper that are almost impossible to tell apart from Poison Ivy. I think that sometimes the younger leaves on Virginia Creeper have only 3 leaflets. After a little while, they usually grow the extra 2 that gives them a full complement of 5. That's probably what you are looking at here - I noticed that the leaves with 3 leaflets all look younger and smaller than the ones with 5 leaflets.

I also noticed on the 3rd photo down that the plant seems to have little green tendrils, like a grapevine. Poison Ivy doesn't have those - when it is climbing something, it grows lots of tiny little root-like structures that cling to the surface of whatever it is climbing. This gives Poison Ivy a "hairy" appearance if it is climbing up something - although the stems won't be "hairy" if they are free-standing or just lying on the ground.

I just did a google search and found this page. I just freaked out about a half hour ago when I pulled a vine out of my azaleas. I didn't think it was anything special when I saw the five leaves... then I saw three leaves and ran inside to scour myself with tecnu. I looked closer and it really does look like the 5 and 3 leave "branches" are coming from the same main vine. I guess I'll do some more research on VA creeper to make sure that's what it is.

Look below. VA Creeper usually has 5 leaves, but may also contain 3 or 4...

Here is a link that might be useful: VA Creeper

I have the same mixed up stuff growing in my yard -- at least it looks the same to me as the pix above -- part with very toothed 5 leaflets and part with 3 leaflets. At least some of it is definitely poison ivy, because I got a terrible rash trying to get rid of it. Probably some is Virginia creeper or I'd get a rash more often. I do note that poison ivy CAN have more than 3 leaves. See, e.g., the FDA's site which states that "Identification Please
Unfortunately, poison ivy, oak and sumac don't grow with little picture ID badges around their stems, so you have to know what to look for. The famous rule "leaves of three, let it be" is good to follow, except that some of the plants don't always play by the rules and have leaves in groups of five to nine. To avoid these plants and their itchy consequences, here's what to look for.

Poison Ivy
grows around lakes and streams in the Midwest and the East
woody, ropelike vine, a trailing shrub on the ground, or a free-standing shrub
normally three leaflets (groups of leaves all on the same small stem coming off the larger main stem), but may vary from groups of three to nine
leaves are green in the summer and red in the fall
yellow or green flowers and white berries

Leslie

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/796_ivy.html

Thanks all,
I haven't seen any berries or flowers yet and I suppose I can wait until fall to see if the leaves turn red. (just followed the link provided above, I guess I'll have to look for the berry color instead of leaf color.) I was kind of hoping to eradicate this summer but do not want to risk the evil rash. I've had it once in my life and know enough not to want it again.