Leaves of Three, Leave Them Be!

    I get asked all the time if something is Poison Ivy at least 2 or 3 times a week.  We have all heard the phrase “Leaves of Three, Leave Them Be”! “But,” you say, “there are a lot of plants with three leaves, how can I tell”?   One of my customers was weeding her bed and ended up with a horrible case because she was not sure!  So to avoid any more confusion here is a primer on poison ivy.

Poison Ivy's beautiful fall color!

    Poison Ivy can grow in many forms including: climbing vines, trailing vines, or a shrub.  Poison Ivy produces a fruit that is popular among birds and some animals.  Seeds from this fruit will remain viable after digestion, meaning that it is easy for wildlife to spread the plant.  Below are several pictures that you can examine to aid you in identification of this nuisance plant.

Poison Ivy vine. Notice the hairy rootlets holdingit to the tree

Poison Ivy Leaf

    The oil that poison ivy secretes is extremely potent.  So potent in fact, the Japanese used to paint it onto the gold leaf used to decorate Temples to protect it from theft.  This is apparently where the phrase “caught red handed” came from.  The oil can stay active on dead plants and surfaces for 1 to 5 years.  Allergies to this oil is the most common allergy in the country, about half of people are allergic to it.  If you are not allergic to the oil (I am lucky enough to be one of these people) sensitivity can develop at any time (uh oh).  The first reports of poison ivy rashes date to the 1600s and was actually named by Captain John Smith. 

Captain John Smith

 

 Any direct contact, be it from a fire, lawnmower, or string trimmer, can cause an outbreak.  Scratching at the rash will not spread it to other parts of your body unless there is oil leftover on the skin.  In short, study pictures and familiarize yourself with what to do if you come in contact with poison ivy, and visit a doctor if you have an allergic reaction.

As always, shoot me an email if you have any questions and I will do my best to provide you with an answer! Thanks for reading.  If you have any questions do not hesitate to visit our web page at www.lawn-scapes.net.

-Matt Bradley, BLA, Pennsylvania Certified Horticulturalist