Poison Oak

1.8k · February 6, 2004

After about 50 visits, I've had a grand total of zero cachers indicate that they were affected by the poison oak growing rampant around my Sund Rock cache. This would include myself and my family, who placed the cache and crawled all around the area oblivious to the presence of the poison oak.

This leads me to think that either:

a) This isn't really poison oak,

b ) This is a special poison-free poison oak strain, or

c) We're all cyborgs.

Does this look like poison oak to you? Ever hear of non-poisonous poison oak?

(Edit: my b ) became a :rolleyes: )

Edited February 6, 2004 by travisl

2.7k · February 6, 2004

that sure does look liek poison oak! Travis, can you send us a good closeup of a 3-leaf pattern and the stem if possible. The stems are usually sort of reddish/green and the leaves themselves have a shiny/oily appearance. this time of the year, the leaves will be coming out and will be more red than green. Very poisonous now! Now some people are immune ot poison oak like my lucky grandfather.

I've never heard of a non-poisonous strand of P-oak...I suppose that could be possible. I'll try googling that.

Anyway, if you can get us a close-up one of the 3-leaf patterns and stem, identification might be more definite. I will say that the actual leaf shape and size varies alot...the 3-leaf pattern is standard though.

Are there oak trees nearby??? sometimes, young oak can kind of look like p-oak.

2.5k · February 6, 2004

When I did Sund Rock last summer there was one plant that stood about 3 feet high that was very very shiny. This was a light green in color. I did not see anything else that looked suspicious. I have not had much experience with PO so I can't say whether it was PO or not, but it did not look familiar.

February 6, 2004

I grew up in southern California where poison oak is rampant in the coastal sagebrush scrub vegetation that was my boyhood stomping ground. That's a dead ringer for poison oak, in my opinion. I never had any reaction to poison oak growing up, even though I literally wallowed in it before I could identify it. My boyhood hiking partners, though, bloated out with severe skin reactions. I still avoid it.

2.7k · February 6, 2004

That's a key warning bell! Shiny...thus oily leaves and if in 3-pattern format...keep way.

1.8k · February 6, 2004

if you can get us a close-up one of the 3-leaf patterns and stem, identification might be more definite.

Lazyboy & Mitey Mite will be out there before I can be. Maybe they can snap a photo this weekend?

Are there oak trees nearby??? sometimes, young oak can kind of look like p-oak.

Nope. And unlike little oak trees, the smaller patches seem to be on stems coming straight out of the ground, not a central tiny trunk.

I'm leaning towards c) at this point. :rolleyes:

4k · February 6, 2004

After about 50 visits, I've had a grand total of zero cachers indicate that they were affected by the poison oak growing rampant around my Sund Rock cache. This would include myself and my family, who placed the cache and crawled all around the area oblivious to the presence of the poison oak.

This leads me to think that either:

a) This isn't really poison oak,

b ) This is a special poison-free poison oak strain, or

c) We're all cyborgs.

Does this look like poison oak to you? Ever hear of non-poisonous poison oak?

(Edit: my b ) became a )

Travisl, what you apparently have found here is known as "Parthenocissus quinquefolia", more commonly known as Virginia Creeper, and most often mistaken for Poison Oak. There are a handful of Ivies and associated vines that are quite frequently mistaken for poison oak and poison ivy, however, this one is the most common one in that list. Still, it is best to avoid anything that you may think is poisonous, just to be on the safe side.

As for immunity, yes, some people have natural immunities to poison oak and/or ivy. My uncle Harold is one example of that. My brother, on the other hand, is highly allergic to the point of being near enough a plant on a humid day without actual contact is enough to give him an anaphylactic reaction (allergic shock, involving respiratory failure due to swelling in the throat and nasal passages).

For more information, do a google search for Poison Oak lookalikes..... :rolleyes:

2.7k · February 6, 2004

Nope! I believe the plants Travis saw are poison oak or young oak trees.

check out this link for Virginia Creeper:

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/plant_profi...qu2_004_ahp.tif

Note that the leaf patterns are in fives and the jagged edges of the leaves. Poison oak doesn't display jagged edges like that.

February 6, 2004

Definately not Virgina creeper. My neighbor has Virginia creeper growing on their fence. Virginia creeper is a vine and is not typically found growing wild here in the northwest. Also note that poison oak has a three-leaved pinnate pattern as opposed to the five-leaved palmate pattern of Virginia creeper.

4k · February 6, 2004

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a vine plant with 5 leaves. This plant grows under similar conditions to poison ivy and is often confused for it. However, varieties found in Northeast US timberlands have been noted to have three leaves with "sawtooth" edges that very closely resemble Poison Oak. These variations of Virginia Creeper are most often mistaken for Poison Oak, and rightly so.

Text copied directly from "A Field Guide to the Flora and Fauna of Northeastern United States". But, I guess a well-recognized scientific book used in most major botany classes could be wrong.....

9.4k · February 6, 2004

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a vine plant with 5 leaves. This plant grows under similar conditions to poison ivy and is often confused for it. However, varieties found in Northeast US timberlands have been noted to have three leaves with "sawtooth" edges that very closely resemble Poison Oak. These variations of Virginia Creeper are most often mistaken for Poison Oak, and rightly so.

Text copied directly from "A Field Guide to the Flora and Fauna of Northeastern United States". But, I guess a well-recognized scientific book used in most major botany classes could be wrong.....

It's only wrong when you're reading it :rolleyes:

Stop making sense like this, you're scaring me!

BTW, I've either never touched poison oak/poison ivy or I'm immune

4k · February 6, 2004

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a vine plant with 5 leaves. This plant grows under similar conditions to poison ivy and is often confused for it. However, varieties found in Northeast US timberlands have been noted to have three leaves with "sawtooth" edges that very closely resemble Poison Oak. These variations of Virginia Creeper are most often mistaken for Poison Oak, and rightly so.

Text copied directly from "A Field Guide to the Flora and Fauna of Northeastern United States". But, I guess a well-recognized scientific book used in most major botany classes could be wrong.....

It's only wrong when you're reading it

Stop making sense like this, you're scaring me!

BTW, I've either never touched poison oak/poison ivy or I'm immune

Sorry, I'll go back to nonsense....apparently my credibility is nill....but my father, the botanist, is turning over in his grave right now......

February 6, 2004

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a vine plant with 5 leaves. This plant grows under similar conditions to poison ivy and is often confused for it. However, varieties found in Northeast US timberlands have been noted to have three leaves with "sawtooth" edges that very closely resemble Poison Oak. These variations of Virginia Creeper are most often mistaken for Poison Oak, and rightly so.

Text copied directly from "A Field Guide to the Flora and Fauna of Northeastern United States". But, I guess a well-recognized scientific book used in most major botany classes could be wrong.....

I guess they only get three leaves in the northeast. Must be the freezing weather or acid rain. :rolleyes:

2.7k · February 6, 2004

Poison oak leaves however don't have sawtooth edges or serrated. More rouned and even in some cases, just a more regular leaf shape. I have never seen poison oak wiht very sharp leaf edges though.

February 7, 2004

Definitely not Virginia Creeper! VG is more of a vining plant and has five leaves:

As EGH said, Poison Oak has only three leaves and the lobes can be fairly sharp in some plants to very rounded in others. The most common mistake in identifying it is more likely to occur when it is growing in an area of Oak seedlings that look very similar at that stage.

Remember the old adage: Leaves of three, let it be.

Edited February 7, 2004 by Navdog

4k · February 7, 2004

Yeah, hmmm...you must be right.

9.4k · February 7, 2004

Yeah, hmmm...you must be right.

You mean you were wrong? This day will live in infamy!

4k · February 7, 2004

Yeah, hmmm...you must be right.

You mean you were wrong? This day will live in infamy!

Think I'll go out and buy me one of them little Virgin Mary bobblehead statues for my Jeep, I done witnessed a miracle!

1.8k · February 7, 2004

Yeah, hmmm...you must be right.

You mean you were wrong? This day will live in infamy!

Good thing it was in a local forum that most folks won't see

4k · February 7, 2004

Yeah, hmmm...you must be right.

You mean you were wrong? This day will live in infamy!

Good thing it was in a local forum that most folks won't see

Yeah, that could really ruin my reputation as an honest, straightforward, topical poster!

February 8, 2004

Yeah, hmmm...you must be right.

3.1k · February 10, 2004

Lazyboy & Mitey Mite will be out there before I can be. Maybe they can snap a photo this weekend?

We were out there saturday and I would say that those aren't poison oak bushes at Sund. We grow that stuff by the acre lots on our property in Oregon. The cache is in great shape and I'd say the only concern is the steep hike down to the cache not the fauna surroudning it :lol:

4k · February 10, 2004

Lazyboy & Mitey Mite will be out there before I can be. Maybe they can snap a photo this weekend?

We were out there saturday and I would say that those aren't poison oak bushes at Sund. We grow that stuff by the acre lots on our property in Oregon. The cache is in great shape and I'd say the only concern is the steep hike down to the cache not the fauna surroudning it

Yes it is....haven't you been paying attention to the posts in this thread? :huh: :lol:

3.1k · February 10, 2004

Yes it is....haven't you been paying attention to the posts in this thread?

Ummm, imagine that, not paying attention to your posts???

4k · February 10, 2004

Yes it is....haven't you been paying attention to the posts in this thread?

Ummm, imagine that, not paying attention to your posts???

Strange, isn't it? But it wasn't my posts that were all saying it was....I'm the only one with any real, technical proof that it isn't.....but, I'm sure my book was wrong, so I bowed out of the argument..... :lol:

3.1k · February 10, 2004

I'm the only one with any real, technical proof that it isn't.....but, I'm sure my book was wrong, so I bowed out of the argument.....

Yep so true, and I'm the guy that visited the cache :huh:

4k · February 10, 2004

We grow that stuff by the acre lots.....

So, is that a good cash crop? What do you do, bail it or crush it into pellets for feed? :lol:

3.1k · February 10, 2004

We grow that stuff by the acre lots.....

So, is that a good cash crop? What do you do, bail it or crush it into pellets for feed?

It's used as a city boy repellant.

February 10, 2004

Poison-oak generally grows in acid soils, and is not limited to any

particular soil texture or drainage pattern. It occurs on well-drained

slopes and in riparian zones.

Poison-oak is a somewhat shade-tolerant species commonly occurring in

seral woodland and mixed evergreen forest understories.

The bright green leaves have three round to ovate, diversely lobed or toothed leaflets that usually resemble oak leaves.

3.1k · February 10, 2004

The photos show shiney green leaves but as those of us who raise it know it goes reddish yellow and at this time of year my crop has no leaves.

4k · February 10, 2004

The photos show shiney green leaves but as those of us who raise it know it goes reddish yellow and at this time of year my crop has no leaves.

I'd think by now you would have erected a greenhouse for it. A little moist warm air, some occasional fertilizer, and of course, spend some time talking to it to help it grow. :blink:

February 10, 2004

The photos show shiney green leaves but as those of us who raise it know it goes reddish yellow and at this time of year my crop has no leaves.

Judging by the green growth of the weeds in the picture and a few tiny seedlings, as well as the new growth of the suspect plant, it is possible Travisl's picture was taken one of the last two springs since the cache was placed and not this winter.

4k · February 10, 2004

Actually, I think they're just plastic plants that travisl put there to keep people away from his cache! :blink:

February 10, 2004

Actually, I think they're just plastic plants that travisl put there to keep people away from his cache!

You may be on to something! What a great way to keep muggles away from your ammo can. :mad:

Poison Oak

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