Poison Ivy Removal in Greensboro, NC
We remove poison ivy from yards, fence lines, creek banks and tree trunks across Greensboro, in Guilford County[1]. Two local rules shape the job. The county bans burning yard waste inside the city at all times[2], and the city's gray yard waste cart takes nothing that contains soil, so dug roots cannot go to the curb[3]. Residents have logged the plant from Fisher Park to Lake Brandt[4]. Send your address and photos for a free estimate.
Greensboro at a glance
- Burning
- Banned in the city, always
- Prohibited at all times in Greensboro because the city collects yard waste, so cut vines must be hauled[2].
- Gray cart
- 95 gallons, picked up weekly
- Plus up to 10 paper bags or bundles a week, 15 from November through February[3].
- Creek buffer
- 50 feet, Jordan Lake rules
- Removing poison ivy in the buffer is exempt, so it needs no approval[5][6].
- Leaf season
- About March 30 to November 5
- Median last and first freezes at Piedmont Triad International Airport, the window for treating leaves[7].
- What grows here
- Eastern poison ivy
- Guilford County's iNaturalist records show it, and none of poison oak or poison sumac[4].
- Typical cost
- $270 to $620
- A typical residential yard, sprayed, dug or both, with everything hauled away.
Request a free estimate
Poison Ivy Removal in Greensboro, NC
- We look at your photos and identify the plant.
- We call or email you with a price, before any work starts.
- We agree a day and one of our own technicians does the work.
How Much Does Poison Ivy Removal Cost in Greensboro?
Poison ivy removal in Greensboro typically costs $270 to $620 for a residential yard, haul-away included.
Three things move the price here. Vines on big trees take ladder work, and about 4 in 10 Greensboro homes were built before 1980[1], so mature trees are common. Creek banks inside the 50-foot buffer get hand cut-and-treat work[6]. And haul-off is in every price, because state law keeps yard trash out of ordinary landfills[8].
See what else changes the price on our cost page.
Where Does Cut Poison Ivy Go in Greensboro if Burning Is Banned?
Not into a fire. Guilford County prohibits burning yard waste at all times inside Greensboro, High Point, Jamestown and Gibsonville, since all four have curbside pickup[2]. Fire pits are fine for recreation but not for yard debris[9], and NC State warns that poison ivy smoke can be even more hazardous than touching the plant[10].
| City yard waste rule | For poison ivy you pull yourself |
|---|---|
| 95-gallon gray cart, collected weekly[3] | Cut vines fit if the lid closes |
| 10 paper bags or bundles a week, 15 from November through February[3] | A big patch may take weeks to set out |
| No plastic bags, even compostable ones[3] | Use paper yard waste bags |
| Nothing that contains soil[3] | Dug roots with dirt on them are refused |
City code adds two limits. Brush and limbs go out no longer than five feet, tied in bundles of 50 pounds or less, and nothing goes to the curb before the day ahead of pickup[34].
The rules, as reported, do not name poison ivy[3]. On our jobs nothing goes to your curb. It leaves with us for a yard waste site, not a trash landfill[8].
Left alone, weeds or overgrowth taller than 12 inches on private property draw a city violation[34].
Can You Clear Poison Ivy Along Greensboro's Creeks and Lakes?
Yes. Greensboro is one of the towns the state names to carry out the Jordan Lake buffer rules[5]. Streams, ponds and lakes keep a 50-foot buffer, and the 30 feet nearest the water stays undisturbed except for listed uses[6]. Removal of poison ivy is one, marked exempt[6], which Guilford County says means allowed without approval[11].
Two cautions. Local governments may require wider buffers[6], and the county also enforces a Randleman Lake buffer rule[11]. Outside city limits, the county's Watershed Protection and Stormwater Management Section enforces both[11]. Ask the city or county before clearing anything else beside a creek.
State-wide rules are on our North Carolina rules page.
Where Does Poison Ivy Grow in Greensboro's Neighborhoods and Parks?
Volunteer records on iNaturalist place eastern poison ivy in Fisher Park, College Hill, Old Irving Park, Westerwood and Hamilton Lakes, on the UNC Greensboro campus, and at Price Park, Country Park and Lake Brandt[4]. The National Park Service warns visitors about it at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park[12]. It favors stream banks, fencerows and woodlands[13], so check the back fence first.
Next to public land, the agency that runs it handles its side.
| Place | Who manages it |
|---|---|
| Country Park, Lake Daniel Park | City of Greensboro[14] |
| Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway | City of Greensboro[15] |
| Bur-Mil Park | Guilford County[14] |
| Guilford Courthouse National Military Park trails | National Park Service[16] |
We work on private property only, so we clear your side of the line.
When Is Poison Ivy Season in Greensboro?
About 220 days fall between the median last and first freezes at the airport[7], and that is the window for treating leaves.
| When | What the records show | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| March 30 | Median last spring freeze[7] | Leaf season starts |
| Early summer | Herbicide works best on new shoots[13] | First spray |
| July | Average high 88.5°F, rain on about 11 days[17] | Morning work, rain delays |
| Late summer to early fall | Another advised spray window[18] | Tree vines |
| November 5 | Median first fall freeze[7] | Leaf spraying ends |
| January | Average high about 49°F[17], about 7 inches of snow a year[7] | Cut vines, dig roots |
Greensboro Neighborhoods and Guilford County Towns We Cover
We work across Greensboro, from the historic districts of Fisher Park, College Hill and Dunleath[19] to Lindley Park and Glenwood[20], Westerwood, Sunset Hills, Starmount Forest, Old Irving Park, Hamilton Lakes and Kirkwood[21]. Elsewhere in Guilford County we take jobs in High Point, Jamestown, Gibsonville, Summerfield, Oak Ridge, Stokesdale and Pleasant Garden[22].
ZIP codes: 27401, 27403, 27405, 27406, 27407, 27408, 27409, 27410, 27455, 27214, 27301, 27358
Greensboro Questions
Is It Legal to Burn Poison Ivy on a Rural Lot in Guilford County?
No, not safely, and often not legally. Outside the four towns with curbside pickup, the county limits yard waste fires to 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM and may require a Forest Ranger permit[2]. State fines reach $25,000[23], and the smoke is toxic[10].
Will Greensboro Code Compliance Make My Neighbor Clear Poison Ivy?
No, not for poison ivy alone, as far as we could confirm. It is not on North Carolina's noxious weed list[24]. The city's Code Compliance Division does cite tall grass and weeds under section 17-1[25], so an overgrown lot can be reported.
Who Books Poison Ivy Removal at a Greensboro Apartment Complex?
The owner or manager. About half of Greensboro's occupied homes are rented, and about 3 in 10 homes sit in buildings of five or more units[1]. State law requires landlords to keep common areas safe[26], worth raising if it lines a shared path.
Why Do So Many Greensboro Neighbors Call It Poison Oak?
Because NC State lists Poison Oak as a common name for eastern poison ivy, whose leaflets can be smooth, toothed or lobed[10]. Atlantic poison oak is rarer in the Piedmont[27], and iNaturalist has no Guilford County record of it[4].
What Plants Near Greensboro Creeks Get Mistaken for Poison Ivy?
Boxelder seedlings and Virginia creeper. NC State says boxelder grows along waterways and often has three leaflets resembling poison ivy[28]. Virginia creeper has five leaflets where poison ivy has three[29]. Send a photo and we'll check.
Does Poison Ivy Come Back Thicker Where Storms Took Down Greensboro Trees?
Yes, often. Forest Service research says poison ivy often increases after windstorms open the canopy[30]. The EF2 tornado of April 15, 2018 left substantial tree damage in Greensboro, and Guilford County logged 169 thunderstorm wind reports from 2016 to 2025[31]. Watch any new sunny gap.
Can You Remove Poison Ivy Vines From Old Trees in Fisher Park or Old Irving Park?
Yes. NC State says the vine can climb 60 to 150 feet[10]. We cut a section out near the ground, treat the rooted stump, and let the top die in place. Tell us how high it goes and how thick the stem is.
Does a Greensboro Crew Need a License to Spray Poison Ivy?
Yes. Anyone who applies pesticides for pay on another person's property in North Carolina needs a commercial pesticide applicator license[32], and you can check a license on the state's public search[33]. More on our rules page.
Near Greensboro
We also cover Winston-Salem, High Point, Burlington in the The Triad area. See all areas, the price table and NC rules.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 (5-year)
- Guilford County Environmental Services, Illegal Burning
- Rhino Times, City Tells You Where You Can Put Your Yard Waste (3 December 2025, reporting a City of Greensboro release)
- iNaturalist verifiable observations of eastern poison ivy, Guilford County, read 13 Nov 2026
- 15A NCAC 02B .0262, Jordan nutrient strategy, Item (7)(a)
- 15A NCAC 02B .0267, Jordan riparian buffers, Items (1), (7) and (9) Table of Uses
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Piedmont Triad International Airport (USW00013723), annual
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 130A-309.10(f)(3), yard trash barred from landfills
- Rhino Times, Greensboro Gives You Cheat Sheet On Fall Yard Waste Policy (3 October 2024)
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Toxicodendron radicans (eastern poison ivy)
- Guilford County, Riparian Buffers and Streams
- National Park Service, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Safety
- N.C. Cooperative Extension, Wayne County Center, Dealing With Poison Ivy in the Landscape
- City of Greensboro GIS, park layer (Managing_Agency)
- City of Greensboro GIS, trails and greenways layer (Ownership)
- City of Greensboro GIS, trails layer, Guilford Courthouse Nat. Mil. Park Main Loop
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals, Piedmont Triad International Airport (USW00013723), monthly
- N.C. Cooperative Extension, Burke County Center, Controlling Poison Ivy (2023)
- City of Greensboro GIS, local historic districts layer
- City of Greensboro GIS, adopted neighborhood plans layer
- City of Greensboro GIS, Greensboro Tree Explorer neighborhood field
- Guilford County, Jurisdictions within Guilford County
- NC DEQ Division of Air Quality, Open Burning
- NCDA&CS Weed Regulatory Services, List of Regulated Noxious Weeds for North Carolina
- City of Greensboro open code compliance data, case type 17-1 Tall Grass and Weeds
- N.C. Gen. Stat. 42-42(a)(3), landlord duties
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Toxicodendron pubescens (Atlantic poison oak)
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Acer negundo (boxelder)
- N.C. Cooperative Extension, Caldwell County Center, Poison Ivy Identification and Control
- USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System, Toxicodendron radicans
- NOAA Storm Events Database, 2016-2025
- N.C. Cooperative Extension, Wilkes County, Check Their License First
- NCDA&CS Structural Pest Control and Pesticides, License Search
- City of Greensboro Code Compliance, Nuisances
- City of Greensboro Water Resources, Department Contact Information
- N.C. Cooperative Extension, Guilford County Center, Ask Your Gardening Questions
Checked November 2026. Rules change: confirm with the office named before you rely on one.
Request a free estimate
Poison Ivy Removal in Greensboro, NC
- We look at your photos and identify the plant.
- We call or email you with a price, before any work starts.
- We agree a day and one of our own technicians does the work.