Information about poison ivy, oak, sumac and the skin rashes they cause
In case you were wondering whether you can find poison in the city of Memphis (in October) the answer is YES. I was having lunch in a terrific Mexican restaurant and noticed that the huge tree outside the window was covered in very familiar looking leaves.
For all of its tough-guy reputation, eastern poison ivy is one of the first plants to give in and turn colors in the late summer. No idea why it does this before even the other vines, like Virginia creeper turn.
Here is some really good advice: if you think you MIGHT be in or around poison ivy, DO NOT rub your face, tender parts, or eyes!
So many people, such as this unfortunate lady, fall victim to this.
I think his advice is good, but I also think that he is leaving out some very important facts that could cause a person a great deal of misery.
I got an email from a veterinarian technician: she says dog CAN get poison ivy.
A viewer sent in this very good photo of poison ivy seedling. I think it's cute but she doesn't. You can see the baby leaves, the oval-shaped leaves called cotyledons.
The biggest problem in trying identify poison ivy is how VARIABLE the plant can be. I couldn't be sure about this plant.
I was out for a walk one day and ran into a rather educated nature observer. He was able to identify various tree species that I didn't know of. But then he made an interesting statement that struck me as both very lovely and quite untrue.
Here is a rare True Fact: poison ivy NEVER grows along with sweet fern. These two plants just don't get along, and I have no idea what is behind this.
Confession! This website repeats the common phrase, "Leaves of three, let it be." But, technically, the phrase is wrong!
