How To Identify Poison Ivy | Homesteading Tips

How To Identify Poison Ivy | Homesteading Tips is courtesy of http://ift.tt/1Qfw8v0

Home Garden How To Identify Poison Ivy | Homesteading Tips

Want to know how to identify poison ivy? If you want to be more familiar with this plant and not be mistaken, here are a few things you have to remember.

How To Identify Poison Ivy

Going out in the wilderness is fun but can also be tricky especially when there’s poison ivy. I always go around our homestead for a walk and I have to admit, we do have some poison ivy in the perimeter. It’s easy to avoid if you know where it is but if you’re in an unfamiliar place, knowing the characteristics of a poison ivy is important. It’s something that I share especially with my grandkids since they love to pick leaves and play with it. So if you don’t want to make the mistake of touching or coming across poison ivy, these are the things that you have to know:

You can thank Daily Infographic for this guide.

With a scientific name of Toxicodendron radicans, they can be easily mistaken as other plants.

How to Identify Poison Ivy Like A Boss

Leaves of three, let it be.

This old rhyme refers to the grouping of three leaves that are most commonly associated with poison ivy. Though there are many other plants with three predominate leaves, this can be a good starting point for identification.

Hairy vine, no friend of mine & Raggy rope, don’t be a dope!

Poison ivy vines on trees have a furry “raggy” appearance. These rhymes warn tree climbers to be wary. Old, mature vines on tree trunks can be quite large and long, with the recognizable leaves obscured among the higher foliage of the tree.

Berries white, run in fright & Berries white, danger in sight

The berry-like fruit, a drupe, mature by August to November with a graying-white color. Fruits are a favorite winter food for some birds and other animals. Seeds are spread mainly by animals and remain viable after passing through the digestive tract.

Longer the middle stem, stay away from them.

This refers to the middle leaflet having a notably longer stem than the two side leaflets and is a key to differentiating it from the similar-looking Rhus aromatica – Fragrant sumac.

Red leaflets in the spring, it’s a dangerous thing.

Sometimes in the spring new leaflets have a red appearance. (Note that later, in the summer, the leaflets are green, making them more difficult to distinguish from other plants, while in autumn they can be reddish-orange.)

Side leaflets like mittens, will itch like the dickens.

This refers to the appearance of some, but not all, poison ivy leaves, where each of the two side leaflets has a small notch that makes the leaflet look like a mitten with a “thumb”.

If butterflies land there, don’t put your hand there.

Some butterflies land on poison ivy, since they are not affected, which provides them protection as their predators avoiding eating the plant.

So are you more familiar with what a poison ivy looks like? Share your thoughts below in the comments!

Want more homesteading tricks, tips, and tidbits. Subscribe to our Newsletter! You’ll also be given access to exclusive offers on the latest homesteading essentials.

Want to know how you can heal your poison ivy rash the natural way? Get it here:

Natural Poison Ivy Treatment That Works

Comments

comments

Suggested Videos

This Article Was Found On pioneersettler.com Read the Original Article

check out the full article Here: How To Identify Poison Ivy | Homesteading Tips