{"id":3673,"date":"2014-06-23T11:00:21","date_gmt":"2014-06-23T15:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=3673"},"modified":"2014-06-23T11:00:29","modified_gmt":"2014-06-23T15:00:29","slug":"many-faces-of-poison-ivy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/many-faces-of-poison-ivy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Many Faces of Poison Ivy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Do the words \u201cpoison ivy\u201d make you itch? Not all people are allergic to the oil that\u2019s found throughout this plant, but for those who are and who come into contact with it, the result can be weeks of misery. As a kid I had a bad reaction to poison ivy when I crawled through the undergrowth looking for a lost baseball. Since then I\u2019ve learned to avoid it, and these skills have served me well across many years of blissful, rash-free hikes. Here&#8217;s\u00a0what to look for.<\/p>\n<h3>The Overall Shape<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_3679\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3679\" class=\"wp-image-3679\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy9.jpg\" alt=\"Poison ivy carpets the forest floor.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy9.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy9-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy9-624x468.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-3679\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Poison ivy carpets the forest floor.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Poison ivy can take three possible growth forms:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sometimes it looks like a thick <strong>vine<\/strong>, and you\u2019ll see it winding around a tree and climbing high into the air.<\/li>\n<li>Sometimes it looks a like <strong>a bush or a shrub.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Other times it will\u00a0<strong>carpet the ground<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As a result, you may see poison ivy at almost any height, from your toes to above your head.<\/p>\n<h3>The Leaves<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_3680\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3680\" class=\"wp-image-3680\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy12.jpg\" alt=\"A poison ivy leaf.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy12.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy12-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy12-624x468.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-3680\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A poison ivy leaf.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Luckily, that familiar rhyme \u201cLeaves of three: let it be\u201d holds true: all of its leaves have three separate leaflets (unless some\u00a0have been eaten). However, many harmless species also have clusters of three leaflets.<\/p>\n<p>To tell poison ivy apart, look for these features:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>central leaflet has a longer stalk<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The edges of the leaflets can be <strong>smooth<\/strong> or have a <strong>few big jagged \u201cteeth\u201d<\/strong>. Other plants, like some raspberries, may have dozens of small teeth.<\/li>\n<li>Poison ivy comes in <strong>many shades of green<\/strong>, and the leaves can\u00a0be <strong>red<\/strong> when they\u2019re young or during the fall.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Vines<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_3678\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3678\" class=\"wp-image-3678\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy4.jpg\" alt=\"A furry poison ivy vine (at left) climbs a tree.\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy4.jpg 640w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/poison_ivy4-624x468.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-3678\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A furry poison ivy vine (at left) climbs a tree.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Even when the leaves die back, the vines can still cause a reaction if touched. Note that poison\u00a0ivy <strong>vines are \u201chairy\u201d<\/strong>\u2014they\u2019re covered in thin roots that help anchor the plant to the thing it\u2019s climbing.\u00a0In fact, another\u00a0one of the many rhymes associated with this plant is\u00a0\u201cHairy rope, don\u2019t be a dope.\u201d A few other vines have a hairy appearance, but most of our native vines don&#8217;t.<\/p>\n<h3>The Berries<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_3677\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3677\" class=\"wp-image-3677\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/Poison-Ivy-berries-credit-John-Beetham-Dendroica-on-Flickr.jpg\" alt=\"Poison ivy berries. John Beetham, Flickr user Dendroica.\" width=\"500\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/Poison-Ivy-berries-credit-John-Beetham-Dendroica-on-Flickr.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/Poison-Ivy-berries-credit-John-Beetham-Dendroica-on-Flickr-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/Poison-Ivy-berries-credit-John-Beetham-Dendroica-on-Flickr-624x470.jpg 624w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/Poison-Ivy-berries-credit-John-Beetham-Dendroica-on-Flickr-900x678.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-3677\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Poison ivy berries. John Beetham, Flickr user Dendroica.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In the summer and fall this plant will grow small <strong>clusters of green-white berries<\/strong>. These fruits will often stick around during the winter.<\/p>\n<h3>The Softer Side<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_3676\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/13717646275_4e94260a6f_b.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3676\" class=\"wp-image-3676\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/13717646275_4e94260a6f_b.jpg\" alt=\"A downy woodpecker eats poison ivy berries. Tim Lenz, Flickr user seabamirum.\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/13717646275_4e94260a6f_b.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/13717646275_4e94260a6f_b-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/13717646275_4e94260a6f_b-624x416.jpg 624w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/06\/13717646275_4e94260a6f_b-900x601.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3676\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A downy woodpecker eats poison ivy berries. Tim Lenz, Flickr user seabamirum.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Even though poison ivy can be a (literal) pain for humans, it\u2019s a boon for other animals. Some creatures, such as cottontails and deer, eat the leaves. Even the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/why-mow-when-you-can-use-goats\/\">goats<\/a> that live at some of our wildlife sanctuaries enjoy a meal of poison ivy. Because the berries persist through the winter, they give birds a food source when times are tough. Insects pollinate the flowers and chew on the leaves, too.<\/p>\n<p>Poison ivy also has several plant relatives that people find delicious. It&#8217;s a member of the Anacardiaceae family, which is also known as the cashew family and includes pistachios and mangoes. In fact, the\u00a0shell of cashew contains\u00a0a chemical similar to the one in poison ivy that causes skin irritation.<\/p>\n<h3>What To Do If You Touch It<\/h3>\n<p>Some people, such as\u00a0our property managers, have no choice but to touch the plant. You can read about one\u00a0property manager&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/wellfleetbaycitizenscience\/keeping-poison-ivy-at-arms-length\/\">approach<\/a>\u00a0at our Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Here are some quick tips:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Wash off the irritating oil as soon as you can.<\/strong> Use soap and water or rubbing alcohol, or try specialty products designed for this purpose.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clean all items that have touched the plant<\/strong>, including\u00a0clothes and shoes.\u00a0The oil found on poison ivy is very stable and can remain for months, if not years, on anything it touches.<\/li>\n<li>If you get a rash, remember:<strong> it&#8217;s not contagious<\/strong>. Any\u00a0new rashes are probably caused by contact with\u00a0items that still carry the oil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Do you have any favorite tips for identifying\u00a0poison ivy?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do the words \u201cpoison ivy\u201d make you itch? Not all people are allergic to the oil that\u2019s found throughout this plant, but for those who are and who come into contact with it, the result can be weeks of misery. As a kid I had a bad reaction to poison ivy when I crawled through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature-notes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-Xf","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7931,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/mass-audubon-pokemon\/","url_meta":{"origin":3673,"position":0},"title":"Mass Audubon &#038; Pok\u00e9mon","author":"Hillary T.","date":"July 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"It seems like Pok\u00e9mon love Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries as much as we do! We're delighted to see new faces exploring our wildlife sanctuaries. Just a friendly reminder for players to be safe and smart while visiting: Stay on the trails (even if the game attempts to lure you off\u2014Pok\u00e9mon\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Get Outdoors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/07\/Poke.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/07\/Poke.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/07\/Poke.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/07\/Poke.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4616,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/most-popular-facebook-posts-of-the-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":3673,"position":1},"title":"Most Popular Facebook Posts of the Year","author":"Hillary T.","date":"December 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"We think everyone can agree this has been a fab year for nature. To find out just what excited people most, we took a look back at a year's worth of Facebook posts and selected 10 of the most talked about. Looking forward to another year of sharing, liking, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Stuff We Love&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Stuff We Love","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/stuff-we-love\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4152,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-timing-of-fall-foliage\/","url_meta":{"origin":3673,"position":2},"title":"The Timing of Fall Foliage","author":"Rosemary","date":"October 8, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you ever noticed that the progression of fall foliage follows a natural schedule? Certain plants become colorful early in the season, and others take their time. Here\u2019s a quick viewer\u2019s guide to autumn color changes. Early Color Early foliage changes can happen as early as mid-to-late September. The red\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nature Notes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/488DebbieStone1564.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/488DebbieStone1564.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/10\/488DebbieStone1564.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":625,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/confessions-of-an-ex-lawn-mower\/","url_meta":{"origin":3673,"position":3},"title":"Confessions of an Ex-Lawn Mower","author":"Kristin S.","date":"September 4, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I blame it on the butterflies. We used to dutifully mow our little lawn in a suburban neighborhood where neat, clean landscapes are highly valued. Then I fell in love with butterflies and everything changed. It started with the gorgeous orange and black butterflies that float in my butterfly garden\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Going Green&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Going Green","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/going-green\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/08\/Kristin-FrontYard-EarlySpring-Small-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/08\/Kristin-FrontYard-EarlySpring-Small-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/08\/Kristin-FrontYard-EarlySpring-Small-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2456,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/why-mow-when-you-can-use-goats\/","url_meta":{"origin":3673,"position":4},"title":"Why Mow When You Can Use Goats!","author":"Stu","date":"June 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Meadows are wonderful. 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If you'd like to get involved at Habitat, check out the award-winning Habitat Intergenerational Program (HIP), a volunteer community service and learning program that connects people of all ages and enables them to participate in environmental service projects together.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Get Involved&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lily with goats","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/Lily-with-Habitat-Goats-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/Lily-with-Habitat-Goats-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/Lily-with-Habitat-Goats-750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/Lily-with-Habitat-Goats-750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3673"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3688,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3673\/revisions\/3688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}