Poison Ivy Facts
It lies in wait, slowly climbing up backyard trees and fence lines shading out essential sunlight necessary for the individual survival of all other forms of
Toxicodendron Radicans and Rhus Toxicodendron respectively, are known as Poison Ivy and Poison Oak. In actuality, neither one really is ivy or oak, but rather both are each members of the Cashew Nut family, which include mango fruit, cashew nuts, and pistachio nuts. Poison Ivy can shoot vines along the ground which if left
Autumn Colors and Seeds
Toxicology- Poison Ivy Allergy
The toxicology of these innocent looking enough plants is extreme. Contrary to popular opinion, very few people ever are totally immune to Poison i
vy/poison oak. The virulent sap found to exist both on the leafs surface and entirely within this plant is called 'urushiol' pronounced, ur oosh iol, is a non-volatile phenolic resin that suffuses itself throughout the entire plant, is best known to cause extreme skin reactions in most people who are unfortunate enough to make direct human contact with this plant, only to notice days later results in a severe itching violent outbreak of skin rash most often accompanied by huge watery filled blisters being caused by the tiniest of exposures. The lesser known amount of urushiol
Picture Poison Ivy Leaf with dragonfly bug on it
What to do...
Immediately:
If physical human contact is directly made with any part of the Poison Ivy/poison oak plant, it is imperative to wash those affected parts for 3 minutes or longer immediately with COLD running water in combination using a strong detergent soap. Under no circumstance should you use hot water. Hot water causes skins pores to open up wide, thereby allowing the presence of the undesirable Poison Ivy irritant, urushiol, to enter and be absorbed deeply within the outer lying layer of skin. Failure to cold-water bathe your affected body skin parts with a strong detergent soap will likely assure that a rash will develop is almost guaranteed, and later on you will be met with severe itching and oozing blisters. The time lag between the first onset of skin contact made and outbreak of first rash symptoms appearing usually occurs within a few short minutes, or be delayed up to 72 hours or several days. This delay process, however, is seen as being dependant upon each individual's own physical body DNA make up, age, and related blood type chemistry.
Myth of Spreading by Scratching:
Contrary to popular opinion, scratching the poison ivy rash or any of those poison ivy blisters will not spread the known toxin urushiol, (assuming of course you already have showered or washed all affected body parts). The irritant, Urushiol is not found nor located within these blisters. However it is important, for your own health reasons not to scratch, breaks these blisters, since they easily can rupture, and once they do, then allows harmful bacteria to enter into the skins surface thru what now exists as an open wound. Worse still, this infection can enter into your blood stream, causing what is known as post-secondary infection, which may result in abscesses, enlarged or swollen glands, fever and even death may result. Any of these post-secondary infections ordinarily would require additional medical care by a trained medical professional. Just recently we learned of an extreme case of poison ivy allergy rash developing, whereby a grounds crew member first contacted the poison ivy plant while working. Later on discovered he was allergic, developed an itchy rash, huge blisters and fever. Soon afterwards this individual's open sore blisters became infected by a drug resistant strain of staph infection, and eventually this individual ended up dying as a result.
Plant Description - Growth Characteristics
Picture of Poison Ivy leaves
Newfoundland to northern Florida, always is ready to greet us at first toiuch with a blistering persistent 'itchy' scratchy hello, that can last for up to 3 woebegone, torturous weeks of hell. Poison Ivy/ Poison Oak is the cockroach of the plant world, able to invade and survive within the most extreme and harshest of all growing conditions. It thrives in direct sunlight, deep-forested shade, muddied mosquito infested swamps, and sandy salt laden windswept beaches. Wherever you look, it stares back at you, innocently lying in wait, always ready to inflict its poisonous sap upon first moments touch by those poor lesser knowing unsuspecting individual souls who dare to venture forth, either by touching or brushing too close to the plant end up making direct physical contact, and thereby jeopardizing their own physical personal margin of comfort and safety.
Picture: Wall of Poison Ivy vines
hairs, tracing along cracks and crevices, scaffolding poles, fence lines, and over and above building silhouettes. The vine affixes itself by way of an intricately dense maze consists of fibrous rootlet hairs, resembling that of rusty steel wool. These hairs provides this plant with the innate ability to attach themselves like glue, virtually clings to any surface found within their growing reach. This mechanism not only assures this plant's continued success, but more importantly, assures this plants very own survival by eliminating the chances for nearby plants competing for same precious air, water and sunlight. In certain instances the Poison Ivy plant has been known to establish itself by growing within the home garden, often behaving chameleon-like with its extreme appearances, resembling that of desirable attractive, upright, bushy shrub. (Click For Photo) Its 2" to 6"inch long green leaves composed of three leaflets, is recognized either by its waxy smooth (sometimes) shiny surfaces, or by its semi-lobed toothed margins, always radiates out from a central (stem) axis, with one main stem being shared as common to all 3 leaflets (Click For Photo)
In early to mid autumn these attractive shiny plants turn brilliant shades of bright orange, deep red, bright pink and intense yellow. (Click For Photo) When mature, Poison Ivy plants (those plants three years or older) develop small yellow greenish somewhat fragrant flowers (Click For Photo) which develop on the topside of the stem immediately beneath the leafy surface area, occurs usually in May thru June. The plants exhibits tiny 1/4 inch waxy white/green berries which are most often surmounted by sectional lines are divided evenly. While the berries (Click For Photo) make their first appearances in early June, they only first become visually obvious mid to late summer and persist through into early winter, then serve as food for both birds, squirrels, and chipmunks alike.
Picture: Poison Ivy Fire red spring Growth
known to cause such a violent reaction varies from individual to individual, usually amounts to no greater amount than what can be found to fit on the head of a pin, equates to 6 nanograms ( grain of sand)
By example, a 1 ounce shot glass when full, holds enough irritant to adversely effect population of 50,000 people (is same amount of people found to fit inside a sold out baseball stadium) Because urushiol is non-volatile, it doesn't evaporate, therefore can persist indefinitely for many years. For years scientists have theorized if urushiol were ever first found to exist present inside any of the tombs of the great Egyptian Pharohs dating back more than 5500 years, if such event were first to occur, in all likelihooh chances are that urushiol would still remain active today when touched. Poison ivy/poison oak sap is so potent an allergy irritant that even an insect lighting upon a leaf can transfer the urushiol over to an unsuspecting human. (Click For Photo) Unfortunately, urushiol does remain active for many several years, thereby infecting many an unsuspecting hand or finger when unknowingly first placed upon a door knob handle or garden tools that was previously tainted by contaminated hands. Poison Ivy is also easily transmitted from your pet's fur (while your pets are mostly immune to Poison Ivy/poison oak), you and your children always remain at greater risk, easily can become infected by transference by touching your pet's fur coat.
Cleansing Yourself of the URUSHIOL Resin (pronounced....ur oosh i oil)
When in doubt, leaves of three... let them be.