Poison Ivy

The saying goes “if it has three let it be” which I'm not really sure if it's a saying or just something my mother told us kids to scare the hell out of us and prevent us from touching any plant with three leaves!  Either way the saying refers to Poison Ivy identification.

We have all heard about Poison Ivy but do we all really know how to identify it?  After many years in the landscape industry I can say with certainty that most people can't.  Reactions to the oils in this plant vary from no reaction at all to my need for a steroid prescription.  Due to my extreme reaction I have not only become comfortable dressing like an idiot in pants, long sleeves, rubber boots and gloves whenever needing to remove the plant no matter the temperature, but have also educated myself on its identification.

Poison Ivy can take the form of a small plant, shrub, small vine, or large vine that bears fruit and can blend in with many other common plants.   My mother's saying refers to the fact that the leaves on Poison Ivy grow in groups of three.  Additionally these leaves are irregular in shape, often times with one side of the leaf being rounded with the opposite side being a bit jagged almost resembling a mitten.  In the fall the leaves turn a vibrant red color and a really mature plant will produce green or cream colored berries.   Poison Ivy is commonly mistaken as a Virginia Creeper or Raspberry plant. 

Now that you are an expert at Poison Ivy identification what do you do when you find some in your yard?  I find the best way to control Poison Ivy is to treat it with nonselective herbicide several times until it dries up and then dig up and dispose of the plant.  Be sure to follow the label instructions whenever using chemical products. 

If you only have your heart set on being an expert identifier and not an expert remover you can always contact a landscape contractor to help you out!