Forest
Stewardship News Release
September
12, 2003 - For Immediate Release
Contact: Rance
Harmon, Phone: 814-863-0401 E-mail: rsh144@psu.edu
LEAVES OF
THREE, LET THEM BE
By
Elizabeth Webster, Penn State Forest Resources Extension Writer
Avoiding poison ivy should get easier this fall. In late September or early October, before most plants show fall foliage, poison ivy's leaves will turn a brilliant, eye-catching red. Reactions to poison ivy are most common in the summertime but can occur at any time of the year. Most people are not allergic upon first contact, but repeated contact can cause itching, swelling, blistering, and even numbness to 85 percent of those exposed. Any direct contact with poison ivy, or even indirect contact, such as touching your clothing, your tools, or your pet's fur, can elicit an allergic reaction.
Humans are unique in their adverse reaction to poison ivy. For woodpeckers, warblers, vireos and many other birds, poison ivy's berries are a preferred food source. Deer, black bear, muskrat, and rabbit eat the fruit, stems, and leaves. For these animals, poison ivy's early fall color will act more as a marker for food than a warning of poison. If you can avoid poison ivy, control it, and keep it away from your home, its presence will be valuable for attracting wildlife and will pose little harm to you.
Poison ivy is a vine, with leaflets clustered in groups of three. The leaves may appear shiny or dull and are often pointed at the tips. The edges of each leaflet may be smooth or have a few coarse notches, but are not serrated. In the summer, leaves and berries are green. In the fall, the berries turn white and the leaves red. Leaves may also be red in the springtime. All parts of this plant are poisonous and remain so even after it's dead. Look for poison ivy around the edges of open fields, woodlots, and trails or climbing trees, fences, and stone walls.
Identifying and avoiding poison ivy should be the first defense-controlling it, the second. What's the best way to remove poison ivy? Don't try to rip it out of the ground, even with gloves. If you have only a few scattered vines, you could try digging them up with a shovel after a rain, when the soil is moist. Don't use a weed whacker. Urushiol, the oil of the plant that causes the allergic reaction could get on your clothing, exposed parts of your body, or neighboring plants. Do NOT burn. Poison ivy smoke can infect your lungs, causing a severe allergic reaction. If you find an unidentifiable vine on a piece of firewood, don't burn it. Short of using a broadleaf herbicide-which would also be effective-repeatedly amputating the vine at its source is the best method of controlling poison ivy, wherever it happens to threaten you or your family.
Perfectly innocuous plants including Virginia creeper and wild grape can be mistaken for poison ivy. Some clear indicators can help you tell them apart. Wild grape has heart-shaped leaves, and Virginia creeper's compound leaves consist of five leaflets instead of three. Like poison ivy, these vines are beneficial to wildlife.
Reactions to poison ivy range from mild to severe and typically last at least ten days. Once the itching or blistering begins, the rash has already spread and will be difficult to control. To stop the rash before it spreads, shower with cold water (hot water will open your pores and let the oil in) immediately after contact and before any symptoms appear. Over-the-counter remedies may work to varying degrees. Regardless of your previous contacts with poison ivy, never assume immunity. Sensitivity can develop at any age after any number of contacts.
For more information about poison ivy, request a free copy of Weed Identification #21: Poison Ivy. Contact the Pennsylvania Forest Stewardship Program for this or other free publications: 1-800-235-WISE (toll free); RNRext@psu.edu; Forest Stewardship Program, Forest Resources Extension, The Pennsylvania State University, 320 Forest Resources Building, University Park, PA 16802.
The Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and USDA Forest Service, in partnership with the Penn State's Forest Resources Extension, sponsor the Forest Stewardship Program in Pennsylvania.
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