"Leaves Three, Quickly Flee, Leaves Five, Stay and Thrive"
"Leaves of Three, Let It Be," or maybe "Hairy Vine, No Friend of Mine" . . . in any case the advice is well taken, unless you're in the fortunate 15% of the population that isn't affected by poison ivy or its cousins, poison oak and poison sumac. They all contain an oil, urushiol
(o ͝oˈro ͞oSHēˌôl) that can cause rashes,blisters and itching within a few hours or up to two weeks.
What is Poison Ivy?
Poison ivy is neither a poison nor an ivy. It is an allergen
and a member of the Anacardiaceae family
that also includes pistachios, mangos and cashews. Poison ivy, along with its cousins, can cause a red, itchy rash called allergic contact dermatitis. The body considers it harmful and reacts to protect you from it, but you may not appreciate the attempt! Your body can become sensitive to the oil through contact, sometimes over many exposures over many years, sometimes on first contact. All parts of the mango plant EXCEPT the fruit can cause the rash. Cashew shells contain the oil which is removed before packaging. That’s the reason you’ve never seen a cashew in it’s shell! Pistachios don’t have the oil at all.
Poison Ivy Is Common and Pervasive in New England
Poison ivy grows anywhere and can be a free-standing shrub, a rope-like vine
on a tree
or a trailing vine
along the ground. It has three leaflets
attached to the same smooth stem. They are sometimes a glossy, bright green but may be dull, any shade of green, and sometimes reddish or brownish green. It’s shape and color are moving targets
from the the common 2-4” slightly longer than wide, with or without “teeth” or “lobed” leaves to long and narrow and up to 8-9” in length. Poison ivy is one of the first plants to show fall colors, beautiful yellows and reds.