Poison ivy – bane of humans

#Middlebury #PoisonIvy

Poison ivy climbs a tree trunk. Vines thicken with age and are distinctively hairy. (Janine Sullivan-Wiley photos)

By JANINE SULLIVAN-WILEY

The Coaster’s 1959 hit, “Poison Ivy,” captures a lot in its lyrics: “Poison Ivy, poison ivy / Late at night while you’re sleepin’, poison ivy comes a creepin’, around. // You’re gonna need an ocean / of calamine lotion / you’ll be scratchin’ like a hound / the minute you start to mess around / [with] poison ivy.”

Thankfully this native plant doesn’t actually come after us, but it can be tricky to avoid in its natural environment. Being able to identify it is crucial, as up to 85% of Americans are allergic to it.

These small plants growing on the ground are another form of poison ivy. The group of three leaves reveal their identities.

“Leaves of three, let it be” is helpful, as poison ivy leaves always come in threes. It is a vining plant, and will grow along the ground and up trees and from there can send out branches that may extend up to several feet from the tree trunk. Its leaves are reddish when small in the spring, deep green in summer, then alluringly bright red or yellow in the autumn. One characteristic that is quite important for identifying poison ivy is that those vines – which become thick in an old vine – are hairy. Virginia Creeper vines are not, and they have five leaves in each set.

All parts of the plant (leaves, vines and roots) contain the offending oily substance: urusiol (pronounced yoo-ROO-shee-all). Reactions can range from mild to a severe, itchy, blistery rash. Like many other allergens, the first exposure may not cause a rash, and some people may outgrow a childhood allergy to it. Poison ivy is an important food source for many wild creatures; only humans and some primates are allergic to it.

What to do about it? In the woods, avoidance is the only solution. Dogs and cats can pick up the oil on their coats and unwittingly spread it to their petting, hugging humans. It also can get on garden tools. It is not spread from person to person or by the blisters.

In your own gardens and property, it is best removed by pulling it out, roots and all, observing plenty of caution with long sleeves and gloves. NEVER burn poison ivy as the oil will be in the smoke and penetrate exposed skin as well as enter your throat and lungs. Herbicides may work but can be hazardous to humans as well. Sadly, you might eradicate it from your property, then years later find a new one sprouting, thanks to birds eating the whitish berries and pooping them out with their own individual dose of fertilizer.

Don’t be put off by these plants. The long sleeves, socks and shoes that protect against ticks protect against poison ivy as well. In addition, treatments for pre- or post-exposure are available.

For pre-exposure, creams that contain bentoquatam can help. Post-exposure products by Tecnu for cleaning both clothing and skin are available on Amazon. The rash can appear 24-72 hours after exposure, so getting the oil off right away is critical. The Coasters’ favorite – calamine lotion – does work for some people, as do cool compresses, a paste of baking soda and water, antihistamines or topical corticosteroid creams. The use of jewelweed is an old folk remedy for treating poison ivy, and scientific studies have found jewelweed mash to be effective post-exposure in reducing contact reactions. A call to the doctor may be indicated for severe reactions.

If you are allergic to poison ivy, you’re more likely to be allergic to poison oak and poison sumac, as well as mango skins and cashews. Poison oak (which forms more of a bush with oak-shaped leaves) is not usually found this far north on the east coast, but poison sumac is. The latter is a woody shrub or small tree. Its stems have 7-13 smooth-edged leaves arranged in pairs, and in the fall it may have glossy, pale berries that hang in loose clusters. Much like poison ivy, the leaves are red or orange in spring, green in summer and brightly colored in the fall. It grows in bogs or swampy areas. It should not be confused with staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) which grows in drier areas and is quite common in this area. That kind of sumac forms thickets, taller in the middle, with characteristic spires at the tops.

One other plant now found in Connecticut is extremely toxic from mere contact: Giant Hogweed. A member of the carrot family, its sap can severely hurt or even blind people who get it in their eyes. The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group reports it has been sighted in all eight counties and is being carefully monitored. It is enormous, potentially growing up to 15 feet in height, with leaves that may get up to five feet in length. Any sightings should be reported to University of Connecticut at info@cipwg.org. As of 2011, none were reported in Middlebury.

You can contact this writer at jswspotlight@gmail.com; visit the Middlebury Land Trust on Facebook or the website at middleburylandtrust.org. Happy hiking!