Wild Berries or Poison Oak?

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When I walk in shady woodsy wild places in my county, I often find poison oak climbing the trees and shrubs. Sometimes, though, berry vines look quite similar to poison oak. If in doubt, it's better not to touch. Sometimes the two plants may be growing in the same area, so even if you identify one as a berry vine, you want to be careful that all the plants you see are berries. The berries, like poison oak, have leaves in groups of three. Like poison oak, the leaves sometimes turn red. The way I tell the difference for sure is to check for thorns. Berries have thorns. Poison oak doesn't. Also, the red in berry leaves is usually at the edges. Poison oak leaves are often completely red, especially in fall. New poison oak leaves in spring also can have a reddish tint. Berry leaves have sawtooth edges. Poison oak edges have more rounded notches, like oak leaves. So what you see in my photo is a berry vine. I've never seen berries on it, but at least I don't have to be afraid of it.