Poison Ivy

Poison ivy, an aggressive native plant that grows all over our territory. Poison ivy can grow as a vine, as a shrub, or even creeping along the ground. But the way you can always identify it is by its leaves in groups of three.

Poison ivy, oak, and sumac facts

Many people are susceptible to the rashes of poison ivy, oak, and sumac.

The sap oil, called urushiol, causes the skin rash.

Poison ivy is not contagious.

Washing the oily sap from the skin with water and soap immediately can help prevent the rash.

Avoiding direct contact with the plants can prevent the rash.

Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) can take many forms. While it is technically a woody plant, the woody stem is sometimes obscured by dense green leaves.

Poison ivy may occur as a self-supporting shrub, a trailing vine, or as a hairy vine that climbs trees and walls. In each case, the distinguishing characteristics are the same. The old saw “Leaves of three, let it be,” is partly inaccurate--each group is actually one leaf with three leaflets.

You can identify poison ivy by the stem of the center leaflet, which is longer than the stems of the side leaflets. The leaflets can have smooth, lobed or toothed edges. New growth has a reddish tinge, especially in spring, while deep green summer leaves are shiny and even sometimes waxy in appearance. Oak-shaped leaflets often lead to the mistaken identification of poison ivy for its cousin pest plant, poison oak.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Poison oak and poison sumac are closely related to poison ivy.

Eastern poison oak (Toxicodendron quercifolium) is a shrub that contains urushiol oil. Poison oak causes the same symptoms as poison ivy. Poison oak is only found in the sandy soils of the coastal southeastern states, but not in New York. This plant is characterized by hairy fruit, trunk and leaves. Each leaf has three oak-shaped leaflets, with the middle leaflet on a longer stalk.

Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) is a shrub found in swamps and bogs from Quebec to Florida. It has compound leaves with 7 to 11 leaflets which are bright green with smooth edges. The center leaf stem is bright red. The end leaflet is on a longer stalk than the others.

Poison sumac has small greenish flowers that produce glossy, cream-yellow fruit. Like poison ivy, poison sumac also causes skin irritation. The common sumacs with red berry clusters that we see in New York are not poisonous.

•WHY SHOULD I AVOID POISON IVY?

Many people have an allergic reaction when the oil from poison ivy plants touches their skin. You may come into contact with poison ivy oil by:

Touching the plant-- even dead plants may contain oil!

Touching gardening tools, pet’s fur, sports equipment, clothing, and anything else that has contacted the plant.

Burning the plant-- the oil that is released into the air may land on skin or cause breathing problems.

•HOW CAN POISON IVY AFFECT MY HEALTH?

Health effects from poison ivy usually occur 24 to 48 hours after contact with the plant but may appear as early as 30 minutes or up to two weeks later. Signs and symptoms include

Itching

Redness

Swelling

Red rash that: Consists of small to large bumps, pimples or blisters

May ooze.

Lasts one to three weeks.

Respiratory problems after breathing in smoke from burning poison ivy plants.

IS POISON IVY RASH CONTAGIOUS?

You cannot give a poison ivy rash to another person. However, if you have the oil on your skin and you touch a different part of your body or another person’s skin, a reaction may occur.

HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF WHILE REMOVING POISON IVY FROM MY PROPERTY?

Know what poison ivy looks like and do not touch it with bare hands.

Wear vinyl gloves, long pants, long sleeves, shoes, a hat, eye protection and a dust mask.

Use hand tools to cut and remove the vines and pull up the plant from the roots.

Do not use power tools, such as weed-whackers, lawn mowers, or hedge trimmers.

Place all cuttings in a heavy duty plastic garbage bag. Seal the bag and throw it away with the regular trash.

STOP THE ITCH

The best way to avoid a poison ivy rash is to prevent contact with the plant or its oil. When frequenting areas known to harbor the plant, wear gloves, long sleeves,

long pants and avoid sandals. If you do contact poison ivy, wash all exposed areas with cold running water as soon as possible. If done within five minutes, you may be able to keep the oil from penetrating your skin. Within 30 minutes soap and water can reduce the chance of severe reaction and prevent the spread of the oil. Wear gloves while removing clothing or outdoor gear with oil on it and wash clothes separately in a washing machine with detergent. Be careful not to spread the oil to rugs or furniture in your house.

If you have a reaction, relieve the itching by taking cool showers and applying calamine lotion. Taking a lukewarm oatmeal bath or applying a baking soda paste (three teaspoons of soda to one teaspoon water) may help. Over-the-counter creams containing hydrocortisone may soothe a mild rash.