Poison Ivy – Identification and Control

Watch out!

“Leaves of three, let it be!” Remember this rule of thumb to protect yourself from an itchy poison ivy rash this summer! Plants look innocent enough at this point in the season, but handling them is a mistake. All parts of a poison ivy plant – leaves, stems, roots, fruits –contain an oil called urushiol which causes an allergic reaction and rash. The rash can appear within hours of exposure or up to several days later. Sensitivity to urushiol builds up over time, making a once “immune” person susceptible.

*Pretty fall color of poison ivy. Image by Richard Gardner, Bugwood.org.*

Identification
“Leaves of three…” is not technically accurate because poison ivy plants,Toxicodendron radicans, have compound leaves and each individual leaf is made up of three smaller parts or leaflets. So, you’re looking for plants with clusters of three leaflets together – two side leaflets and a slightly larger…

View original post 582 more words

About Sarah Browning

Sarah Browning is a Nebraska Extension Educator, based in Lancaster County. She has worked in the horticulture industry since 1985 and has been with Nebraska Extension since 1998. She focuses on sustainable management of trees, shrubs, turf and ornamentals and is a certified arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture. She also works commercial fruit and vegetable producers on farm food safety and good agricultural practices. Sarah is a frequent panelist for Backyard Farmer, https://byf.unl.edu/.

View all posts by Sarah Browning →

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.