Something I have wanted to talk about for a long time is poisonous plants. Since I started hiking I've been looking for a common plant around here called Poison Ivy. I know generally what it looks like, but positively identifying it can be difficult sometimes.The plants you see in these pictures could be poison ivy or they could be another plant called boxelder, which is actually a non-poisonous tree and is also common here. Every picture I see confuses me more. As far as I know, young boxelder trees resemble poison ivy more than any other non-poisonous plant.
As some of you know, I can get confused trying to identify certain plants. That's not unusual for anyone though. Most people would not be able to tell the difference between these two plants. There is one very easy way, but I don't recommend it at all. If you touch poison ivy you'll end up with a very bad rash in about a week. The boxelder is safe.
While I was visiting one of my favorite nature parks yesterday, I was talking with one of the park officials I happened to meet on the hiking trail, and the subject of poison ivy came up. She told me that the place was just full of the stuff, especially right next to where we were standing!She pointed out a few of the plants beside the trail, identifying them as poison ivy. One of my pictures here is one of the plants she pointed out. She also mentioned the boxelder trees and how confusing it could be. So why would anyone take a chance and leave the trail in that area?
This is one of the main reasons I tell beginners to stay on the trails. That includes your kids! I once saw a boy that actually rolled around in unidentified plants on trails like this. I tried to stop him but his parents were ignorant about such things and only thought it was funny, so I could do nothing further. Hopefully he was unhurt.
If you want some really good information on poison ivy you can go to this link. It also shows pictures of poison ivy, boxelder, and other plants that have been confused with poison ivy. Places like this, along with some of the park officials I've talked with, have helped me get a better understanding about these plants.Speaking of the park officials, if you happen to be at a place where they have people like this working there, they may have some very valuable knowledge to share. If you're polite, you can learn all sorts of things from them. I had a great conversation with the woman I met yesterday. She even told me the best place to find deer in the park this time of year.
I hope this story teaches you something. Also, are there any of you who might know more about poison ivy? I'd really like to know if these plants are the real thing. Any of you who don't know, don't touch them! I know I won't.
Looks like poison ivy to me.
ReplyDeleteI always taught my campers "leaves of three let it be". Even though there are quite a few non-poisonous plants with 3-leaf clusters it's best to not take chances if you are unsure. Unfortunately poison sumac has more leaves, up to thirteen, so it's another story.
SQ
There is long story on plants if it is started, but it always end short due to our short of knowledge. Herbs which are useful to us can be found in the jungle or any of the nature parks.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I've learned something new today, and thank you for the link to the website!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
Hi Ratty, Do you have Virginia Creeper out there? We have it and it seems similar to PI to some people. PI is a fickle plant-it looks like a vine, a plant, a shrub, shiny, not shiny, slightly toothed, not toothed. You can even inhale the stuff. Good reminders! Thank you!Diane Tucker, Estate Naturalist, Hill-Stead Museum
ReplyDeleteI'm off to visit your link. I also get confused because we have so much boxelder around and I always think it's poison ivy. I stay on our logging trails in the summer and don't let the dogs run loose because poison ivy is all over here now.
ReplyDeletelike you I can't be sure if the plants (leaves of three) I see are poison ivy or not, so, we just always stay on trail, it is safe that way. this is another very helpful post. hope that boy was unharmed. yes, it is always great to talk with park officials, since they can give us a lot of information and they are also very friendly.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of poison sumac here too...I don't know what any of them look like. I have been lucky and haven't gotten a rash from hiking around...but I usually wear long pants and high socks and tennis shoes, so nothing directly touches my skin!
ReplyDeletethanks ratty for the info and the link. i don't have any knowledge for you on the subject, i'm horrible at telling plants apart. although i would love to be able to do so.
ReplyDeleteThese are poison ivy (except I'm not sure why you put a pic of what I think is Enchanter's Nightshade in the middle). But I can't fully explain how I can tell it from Boxelder, but I usually can. I am VERY ALLERGIC so I've gotten very good at watching. When they are tiny the PI leaves are red and the BE leaves are not. The PI is usually shinier. The PI has many growth forms- low plant, shrub, vine, and the BE will only grow into a tree. In the fall the PI will be red again. You have perhaps inspired me to do a whole post on PI on my page.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post in keeping with your theme.
Oh great shots! Reminds me of the movie Poison Ivy! ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I have a meme for you!
XoXoX
I am not good in identifying plants so i will say i don't have the answer too....hehehe...
ReplyDeleteHi Ratty, I don't think we have poison ivy in the U.K., but we've still got our fair share of poisonous plants. Foxgloves are common and (apparently) just touching them can increase your heart rate.
ReplyDeleteI normally try to identify plants / bugs with a book, but often there are several which look the same.
SquirrelQueen - Thanks for the first confirmation. I follow the leaves of three rule myself. I'm beginning to get a little better identifying the right stuff no though. I'll try to learn poison sumac next.
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Rainfield - I guess the only way to learn of these things for us is through experience. I hope we can become teachers for others, just like our distant ancestors were.
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Icy BC - Websites like that one are very useful for our short journeys into nature. I'll share many more as time goes on.
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Diane T. - We sure do have virginia creeper. I can see where it would be mistaken for poison ivy. It looks different enough to me now that I'd know the difference, but many people would not.
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Mountain Woman - We have a lot of boxelder here too. I always assumed the poison ivy I've been seeing was boxelder. I never touched it because I try to keep my hands off of everything just to be safe.
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Betchai - Even when we stay on the trails there are still many wonders to see. Sometimes a diversion from the ruls is fine, but only if it is very safe and if you're experienced withthat kind of thing. I've seen the boy since then and he's fine. He was lucky. I love talking with the park people more than almost anyone else I meet.
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The Retired One - Yeah, keeping covered up well is a very important thing while hiking. Poison plants is just one of the reasons why.
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PJ - The good thing is that even if you don't have any knowledge about this stuff, maybe you can learn it here from my post and a few of the other people here.
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Sharkbytes - The reason I put the Enchanter's Nightshade in is because after looking at the picture I thought it might be poison ivy. I'm glad you know what it is. I did have my doubtsabout it though. It looked like too many leaves. Maybe I'll pt up a new picture, but maybe I'll leave it to show how easy a mistake can be made. I've looked for poison ivy when the leaves are supposed to be red, but I've never found it then. Maybe now I'll see it.
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Daisy - I've never seen the movie, so I'll have to watch that one.
The memes are fun. I'll check it out.
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Rose - I'm not good at identifying plants yet either, but I'm trying to learn as much as I can about nature and hiking. I'm glad you commented. :)
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John - I thought maybe poison ivy wasn't everywhere. That's why I titled the post the way I did. I'm glad you pointed it out though. I've heard of foxgloves before in stories. It does just what you say.
I'll probably have books eventually, but for now I try to travel light. I do most of my research on the internet so far.
PS- the poison sumac pretty much only grows in wetlands and is a small tree. Not too many people are going to encounter it. Nevertheless it's good to generally know, because it's much more toxic than the PI.
ReplyDeleteSharkbytes - Thanks for the information. I'll probably never encounter poison sumac, but because of some of the places I've been going, you never know.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your back entries, so I'm coming in late on this one. I believe you can tell box elder from poison ivy by the way the leaflets join the main stem. If they branch off from the stem exactly opposite each other, you're looking at box elder. Poison ivy stems alternate, so there will be a little leaflet that branches to the left, then a little higher, one that branches to the right, and so on. Of course, you have to be at the correct angle to notice this. Reaching in to check the leaflet orientation is not recommended.
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