Is this Poison Ivy?

[+FloridaFour]

Some people who have allergies........ are also allergic to Virginia Creeper....unfortunately. I've been in lots of PI lately and no rash, and I've had it as a kid.... just waiting to get unlucky again.

[+Steve0512]

Okay here is some info on identifying Poison Ivy. I stole them from Wikipedia:

Various mnemonic rhymes describe the characteristic appearance of poison ivy:^[4]

 

• "Longer middle stem; stay away from them." This refers to the middle leaflet having a visibly longer stem than the two side leaflets and is a key to differentiating it from the similar-looking Rhus aromatica (fragrant sumac).
• "Leaves of three; let it be."
• "Hairy vine, no friend of mine."^[5] Poison ivy vines are very poisonous.
• "Raggy rope, don't be a dope!" Poison ivy vines on trees have a furry "raggy" appearance. This rhyme warns 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.^[6]
• "One, two, three? Don't touch me."
• "Berries white, run in fright" and "Berries white, danger in sight."^[7]
• "Red leaflets in the spring, it's a dangerous thing." This refers to the red appearance that new leaflets sometimes have in the spring. (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." (Note that this rhyme should not be misinterpreted to mean that only the side leaflets will cause itching, since actually all parts of the plant can cause itching.)
• "If butterflies land there, don't put your hand there." This refers to the fact that some butterflies land on poison ivy, since they are not affected, which provides them protection as their predators avoid eating the plant.^[8]
• "If it's got hair, it won't be fair." This refers to the hair that can be on the stem and leaves of poison ivy.

[+Team Firenze]

Just a little hint my wife and I found if you do get the rash. I don't claim that its the right thing to do or healthy at all. But if you just can't resist the itching coat a wash cloth with warm water and sprinkle a good amount of see salt on it. Then rub away. It obviously feels better and seems to dry out the rash will helps in the long run.

 

Again, not sure if this is the right thing or not to do but it sure helped us out a lot.

[Anastacia01]

there is poison ivy like crazy around here where I live if you are anywhere near trees or fences. I have been lucky and never been to affected by it but my cousin is severely allergic like has to go to the hospital allergic and always has been since she was little so if I see it or if any of us get it we make sure to tell her.

If you can wash asap after exposure it helps I always put my poison ivy clothes in a garbage bag when I take them off and then I dump them in the laundry and give them a good wash just to be safe.

Edited October 15, 2011 by Anastacia01

[Oticus]

If I might offer my $0.02, I used to be violently allergic to PI. Just brushing against it would cause my whole body to break out, eyes swollen shut type of cases. And every time I mentioned having PI, my grandmother would get me a bar of "Fels-Naptha' soap. It is old as dirt, and just as expensive, but it will dry out/kill any rash you've got. Any country store should carry it(we have Rural King and Tractor Supply Co here in IL, not sure about the rest of the country). 1 bath with this would normally take care of the problem, 2 if I let it get bad.

 

Thankfully as I've aged my allergy seems to have lessened and now I scarcely break out at all.

 

And its always a good idea if you're going out in a wooded area to stop by the nearest nature center. They'll have pamphlets with all the plants to be aware of for the area.

[+Thrak]

That's some big poison ivy!

 

Watch out not only for live posion ivy, but also for dead poison ivy which can give you a bad outbreak too.

 

If you do get poison ivy, I really like a product like Ivarest.

 

"Leaves of three leave them be, leaves of 5 you will survive."

 

I thought "leaves of five" is poison oak?

 

Poison Oak is prevalent where I live. "Leaves of three - let it be" also applies to Poison Oak. We don't have PI here - only PO. I've had it numerous times and I freaking HATE the stuff!