Poison Ivy Identification

'Leaves of three, let it be'

 

 

Poison ivy is a toxic vine which brings misery to millions of people that come in contact with it every year. Although we are most concerned during the summer, every part of this plant is toxic at all times of the year. Even bare stalks are poisonous in the dead of winter. Therefore if you have poison ivy in your area it is important to safely eradicate it.

Native to the eastern United States the vines can be found everywhere in local parks and forest, rambling though bushes and shrubs or climbing trees in the best of gardens. It grows at the seashore where the salt water spray kills most other plants.

 

In the spring small bright red to reddish purple leaflets appear first. These leaflets turn a glossy green by mid-summer. Each leaf consists of three leaflets that are two to four inches long.

 As summer turns to autumn this vine is often the first plant to change color. Bright orange, red and yellow leaves make poison ivy easy to spot.  These bright colors makes September a perfect time to scan your property and area for Poison Ivy. 

 

 

A mature vine is easy to ID at any time of the year. Often as thick as a mans wrist, the vines are covered with thousands of tiny hairs with allows it to cling to trees, growing as high as 50 to 75 feet. Look but don't touch as this will also cause a nasty rash. 

 

 

Poison ivy has both male and female plants. The females produce clusters of white berries that hold on the vine throughout winter and are spread by birds who ingest the fruit.  

 

Do not burn poison ivy to control it. The fumes are very toxic when inhaled into your lungs.  This is a danger to firemen who might breath the fumes in heavily infested areas like beach towns.

 If you believe you do have poison ivy keep a safe distance. Contact your local County Cooperative Extension for information on control and eradication. See Rutgers fact sheet  (#1019)
'Poison Ivy and Its Control'* for additional information. 

 *Whenever using chemical control take proper precautions. Wear protection, cover your nose and eyes and follow the directions on the label.