Information about poison ivy, oak, sumac and the skin rashes they cause
Mowing poison ivy is a mixed bag:
It is good to mow it since that will keep it in check. Without leaves it can't survive, so it won't invade your lawn.
Every so often you may see this sort of strange growth on a poison ivy vine. We sent the photo off to poison ivy scientist John Jelesko and he reports as follows:
Poison ivy loves roadsides. It loves the sunlight. Birds drop the seeds there, often while sitting on power lines overhead.
We often see poison ivy growing over guard rails, but this example was particularly spectactular.
I hope the folks that need to close this gate every evening realize that it is sitting right inside a nice garland of poison ivy.
I once got one of the strangest phone calls of my life, and it was because of this website.
A fellow explained that he had a question about poison ivy and my answer might determine if he spent the rest of his life in prison.
This photo was sent by a viewer. And this might be the largest poison ivy leaf we have ever seen! Could be 6 x 8 inches, which is enormous.
Because of vastly increased CO2 in the atmosphere, poison ivy is growing larger (and more potent).
A viewer sent in this photo of a poison ivy (or possibly poison oak) vine.
What is striking about this image is how the leaves of three come off the main stem clearly alternating left and right. You rarely get such a clear view of how this works since the leaves usually hide the stems.
This photo was sent in by a viewer who wanted to know for sure if this monster was poison ivy.
The answer is... YES IT IS POISON IVY!!!
This is a photo of a poison ivy vine that was chainsawed along with the tree that it was climbing upon.
Here we have two vines that are constantly mistaken for each other, and for good reason: they often grow side by side, or even intertwined.
On the left are two 5-leaflet Virginia creeper leaves, coming from a thin vine.
