Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans or Rhus radicans) can be recognized based on the following elements:
- Poison ivy leaves grow in groups of three.
- Poison ivy leaves are pointed at the tip.
- Poison ivy is generally green in spring but takes on a reddish-orange color in autumn.
- Poison ivy grows both as a climber and as a bush.
- From the flowers of poison ivy, clusters of white berries are born in spring that survive throughout the winter.
Read this guide to learn more about the points listed above.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Identifying Plant Characteristics
Step 1. Search for the plant
It is recognized by the leaves that grow in groups of three, but be careful because the ivy can develop both in the form of a climber, in bushes, as well as in the form of a single plant. You can find ivy and poison oak everywhere - in the woods, in the fields, in your own garden, in an abandoned place, it all depends on where you live. In particular, it seems that these plants love to grow on fences and stone walls, at the edge of woods and in sunny fields.
If it grows on the rock, the ivy tends to take over the rest of the vegetation. If it is born near a tree or a fence, it climbs all around creating a dense mass through which one cannot pass
Step 2. Learn some rhymes to recognize ivy immediately:
"Three leaves on the end, leave them alone!" or "One, two, three, leave it where it is!". These phrases refer to the fact that ivy has three leaves at the end of the long stem. Other characteristics that identify it are:
- Alternating arrangement of the pointed leaves and the stem ending with three leaflets.
- The leaves are wide and the two lateral ones at the tip are smaller than the central one.
- The central leaf usually (almost always) has a small stem, while the two lateral ones grow directly from the plant and have no stem.
- The leaves, seen from above, have a glossy green color. From below, they appear lighter and more nuanced. In spring they are bright green, when they fall they turn red (poison ivy), light red or orange (poison oak).
- Although the leaves are often bright, they are not always bright. So don't rely on their sheen alone to identify this plant, especially if it's been raining recently.
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"Hairy ivy, always suspicious".
- "Long central stem, they can hurt you." The central leaf has a long stem and the two on the sides do not.
- Poison ivy grown on trees looks like ragged fur.
- It has white berries.
- New leaves are sometimes red in spring. In summer they turn green while in autumn they can be reddish-orange.
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The two lateral leaves on the tip have a small cut that makes them look similar to a "muffle" (attention:
not only the leaves cause itching, but also other parts of poison ivy).
Identify Poison Ivy Step 3 Step 3. Check the fruits
If the plant has berries, they have these characteristics:
- Translucent for both plants.
- Poison oak berries have a fluff.
- The poison ivy berries are white or cream colored.
- The fruits remain on the plant throughout the winter and spring.
Identify Poison Ivy Step 4 Step 4. Be careful, when the berries of both plants change color, they are still harmful
Even if the color changes, urusciolo oil is still present in the leaves.
Part 2 of 3: Identifying the Ivy and the Poisonous Oak
Identify Poison Ivy Step 5 Step 1. Check vines before touching, rubbing or walking through them
Because it grows like a creeper, the poison ivy winds along the trees. When it develops in this way, there are hundreds of small poison ivy plants sprouting from the "mother" plant. Always check the type of plant before approaching it.
Identify Poison Ivy Step 6 Step 2. Be careful even during the winter
Poison oak sheds its leaves during the cold months and you can see the bare stem of the creeper hanging down. This too can be dangerous. Don't touch any plants you don't know!
Part 3 of 3: Other Things to Watch Out For
Identify Poison Ivy Step 7 Step 1. It is easy to confuse poison oak with other plants
They have the same groups of three leaves but they are not the same. They may have thorns on the tip (such as holly or Mahonia) or on the stems (such as blackberry brambles).
If you see a plant with all of these characteristics, but it has sharp spikes on the edges, it probably isn't poison ivy. Poison ivy has tips arranged more randomly and with rounded edges
Identify Poison Ivy Step 8 Step 2. Do not consider the ability of other animals to eat plants as an indicator of non-toxicity for humans
Ivy is not toxic to all animals. Fallow deer and other animals eat it. Don't be stupid enough to think a plant is safe because you've seen other animals eat it.
Advice
- Go home and carefully wash all exposed skin after a hike. Wash your hands before touching yourself elsewhere. Use warm, soapy water. Normal soap Not all right. You must use liquid dish detergent as a degreaser, apply it diluted and rinse to remove all the oil residues of poison ivy.
- Change the shoes / boots that have been in contact with the ivy. The oil remains on the laces and you could get infected again.
- Monitor dogs when you are walking them off the leash. The men Not they are the only ones who are allergic to poison ivy oil, and you may not recognize where your dog was hit: check it on the abdomen. Also, be careful, as your dog may still have traces of oil on their fur. Wash it if you think it has come into contact with ivy. To prevent any future problems, keep your dog on a leash when you are in the woods and in an area with vines, among other things you should do it in public areas for the respect of other hikers!
- Teach children not to touch the plants they do not know, it is part of experiencing nature. This is particularly useful in winter when the plants have no leaves from which to recognize them.
- You can get contaminated and have bad reactions even from stray cats.
- Keep a specific soap handy to use immediately if you come into contact with urusciolo oil.
- Once you have contaminated yourself, keep the skin reaction uncovered as much as you can. The air seems to accelerate healing.
- Learn to recognize the plants you are allergic to. Severe allergies can cause big problems. Bring a photo so you can identify them immediately.
- These plants are also present in Bermuda and the Bahamas.
- Check if you have skin rashes even two or three days after contact and, if necessary, start a treatment immediately. Check how to cure yourself.
Warnings
- Burning poison ivy is not a good way to get rid of it. The burnt oil releases its toxic components into the air and, if you breathe them, you will have a very painful allergic reaction.
- Poison ivy can be found together with the American vine, so stay away from it or you will pay the consequences. Be careful, it is easy to confuse the American vine with poison ivy. Even if the American vine has five leaves, it is easily confused with ivy (and vice versa).
