Caring For, Watching Out For And Identifying Poison Ivy

Perhaps the most unpleasant plant that you can touch is the poison ivy plant. Its leaves can look very harmless, however, just one touch of the leaves will leave you red and itchy for days on end. Believe it or not, you can easily keep away from this terrible plant. You just need to learn what this plant resembles and stay far away from it. Another idea is to know what to do if you accidentally touch the plant.

The old and well remembered rhyme is “leaves of three, let them be!” This is the most easy and factual thing to remember concerning this plant. If you see a vine with leaves in groupings of three, this is probably a poison ivy plant. More vine like than resembling a tree or a bush, the vine curves like a rope. However, even though there are three leaves grouped together, some times there can be up to nine leaves together.

The color of this dangerous ivy varies from green in the summer to red in the fall. The leaves are two inches or four inches long. The tips of the leaves are usually pointed. It does contain a waxy, berry type of fruit. The color of this fruit is a gray color.

You may not be able to eliminate poison ivy in the outside world, but you can get it out of your own backyard in a fairly simple way. You can carefully yank it out of the ground using your hands, like a weed. Whatever you do, remember to wear gloves as you do it. Do not just remove the plant, but also get to the roots. If you don’t get the whole root, the plant could come back.

If the plant is growing on a tree, this is a little more difficult. First, cut the vine and remove it from the tree. Then apply an herbicide to the stems where you cut them to prevent continued growth.

Touching the painful plant is bad enough, but do not make the mistake of touching anything, especially another body part. The itching and painful blisters come because of the oil from the plant. The plant possesses an oil of a sticky nature that is transferred by touch. Be especially careful not to anything that may have been in contact with poison ivy, such as a dog.

The first thing to do if you think you may have come into contact with this plant is to wash the area with soap and water. Make sure the water is cold, warm water will cause the poison to enter the pores of the skin more easily. You may still get a rash from it but it will not be quite as penetrating and painful. If there is still a problem, talk to your doctor about a medication and treatment.

Poison ivy sounds terrifying, but it is easy to avoid. Just watch out for any trio of leaves and avoid contact with anyone who has it. Eliminate it from your yard, and always wear long pants when hiking in the woods. You can stay poison free if you are cautious.

There is absolutely no doubting the fact that Poison Ivy is one of the most awful plants to come in contact with. Check out our super guide on just how to treat Poison Ivy Rash and Poison Ivy Blisters .