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If you have ever had a bad case of poison ivy, you know that it is easier to avoid contact with the pant than it is to get rid of the rash.
Contact Dermatitis Caused by Poisonous Plants
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac all contain a sticky oil called urushiol that can cause a contact dermatitis resulting in an itchy rash, redness, blisters, or hives. You can come into contact with this oil by touching any part of the plant or root or by touching clothing, garden tools, or a pet that has touched the oil. Once you have had an allergic reaction to the urushiol, subsequent exposure may result in a more severe reaction.
Identifying Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy can be found in all parts of the United States except for the West coast. It prefers well watered areas and can be found in yards, forrest areas, and roadsides. Its leaves can be many sizes, shapes, and colors, but it can be identified by its three leaflet pattern. Poison ivy has a terminal leaflet on a stem with two side leaflets attached on either side of the same point. This junction is frequently red. When young, the leaves may be glossy. The plant produces white flowers that turn into white berries when mature.
Identifying Poison Oak
Poison oak is found along the west coast of the United States and Canada. Like poison ivy, a stem has three leaflets between 1/2 and 2 inches long. While poison oak can present as a vine, more often it is in shrub form. It also produces white flowers that become white berries.
Identifying Poison Sumac
Poison sumac can be more difficult to identify because it bears a strong resemblance to the non-poisonous sumac variety. It has 12 inch long leaves with 7-13 leaflets. It can best be identified by the red petiole or stem on which the leaflets are located. It likes wet, swampy areas in eastern United States and Canada. It grows as either a woody shrub or a tree as tall as 20 feet.
Before you plant either real or artificial flowers in your yard, look for these identifiers before pulling an unknown plant or vine.
