We are coming to the time of the year when people will be spending more time out-of-doors. Although this is usually an enjoyable time, we do come in contact with some of nature’s pitfalls, such as sunburns, hornets, ticks, stinging nettles, poison ivy and more.

Probably poison ivy creates more instant terror than any other plant in North America. It is not the most dangerous plant but a close encounter with the plant will leave you thinking it is the most treacherous.

Many years ago, Mary Alice had a severe case of poison ivy. Up until that time she had not been bothered by poison ivy and we thought she was immune from the blistering skin and horrible rash. That is until one year when she was helping our daughter with yard work, weeding in the peony and iris beds and pulling vines out of trees. It took a doctor’s visit and a prescription, before Mary Alice’s rash began to clear up.

She learned her lesson: one, how to identify poison ivy and two, keep her distance from the plants. Some people claim they are immune to the plant but the best immunity is to identify the plant and stay away.

Do you remember a song that goes like this?

“She comes on like a rose but everyone knows;

“She will get you in Dutch;

You can look but you better not touch.”

In 1609, captain John Smith was the first to write about poison ivy when he wrote that the plant resembled English ivy, however he noted that the plant caused itching and lasting blisters. Poison ivy, which is a member of the cashew family, is not related to ivy.

In Pennsylvania, we have three poison members: oak, sumac and ivy.

Poison ivy is a woody vine that is well known for its ability to produce urushiol, a skin irritant that can cause an itching rash. This urushiol, which is sticky like pine pitch, is almost invisible and causes rashes, itches and discomfort that few plants can compete with.

“She’s pretty as a daisy but look man she’s crazy;

“She’ll really do you in;

If you let her under your skin”

Although people try to avoid poison ivy, the problem is that the plant has so many appearances that making a positive identification is hard. The plant could be either a small bush or a climbing vine; a plant with varying leaves or a plant with leaves that have either toothed or smooth edges. A plant that is often mistaken for poison ivy is the Virginia creeper, which is also a climber, however the leaves are divided into five coarsely toothed leaflets.

There are many rhymes to help you to identify the plant:

• “Leaves of three, leave them be,” which refers to the plant having three leaves.

• “Hairy vines, no friend of mine,” which refers to the hairy roots that allow the vines to cling to poles and trees.

• “Berries white, run with fright” or “berries white, danger in sight,” both of which refer to the white berries of the plant.

• “Longer middle stem, stay away from them,” which refers to the middle leaflet have a notable longer stem than the two side leaflets.

• “Red leaflets in spring, it’s a dangerous thing,” referring to the red appearance that new leaflets sometimes have in the spring. Later, in the summer, the leaflets are green, making them tougher to distinguish from other plants. In the fall, the leaflets become a reddish to orange color.

• Lastly “side leaflets, like mittens, will itch like the dickens,” referring to the appearance of some (but not all) poison ivy leaves. Sometimes each two-side leaflets have small notches that give the appearance of a mitten.

To make a positive identification of poison ivy, here are a few characteristics that are sufficient to positively identify the plant: a cluster of three leaves; leaves arranged alternately on the stem or vine and root hairs on the vine that enable it to grow up the trunk of a tree or a pole.

The flowers are white in color, and in the first stage, the berries are dark green. Later, sometimes by early September, they will turn white. The berries are spread mainly by birds and become viable after passing through their digestive system.

“Measles make you bumpy;

“And mumps’ll make you lumpy;

“And chicken pox’ll make you jump and twitch;

“A common cold’ll fool ya;

“And whooping cough can cool ya;

“But poison ivy, Lord’ll make you itch!”

Once contact is made with poison ivy the urushiol begins to bond with the skin. It can be spread by wiping sweat from the brow, rubbing the eyes, or touching other parts of the body. Poison ivy cannot be transmitted through the air unless the plant is being burned and then, the smoke soot and dust can cause irritation.

The poison ivy rash cannot spread from the fluid caused by the blisters, which are actually a reaction by the body. It has been said that by eating poison ivy one can develop immunity to the plant, which is completely false and could cause one to be hypersensitive to the plant.

If you come in contact with poison ivy, there is a small window of opportunity to wash the urushiol from your skin. Wash in cold water (hot water opens your pores) with a strong soap. Rubbing alcohol appears to help remove the urushiol.

Depending on a person’s sensitivity and amount of exposure, symptoms generally appear 12-48 hours later. The rash can last for three to four weeks.

“You’re goanna need an ocean of calamine lotion;

“You’ll be scratchin’ like a hound;

The minute you start to mess around.”

There are many home treatments for poison ivy, however, the Native Americans discovered that the best home treatment for the rash is the jewelweed plant (touch-me-not). The juice of this plant flows freely when broken and is the best known remedy for poison ivy poisoning.

Oh yes, the song “Poison Ivy” was sung by the Coasters. We all believed the song was about the plant poison ivy, but it was about a girl named Ivy who flirted with all the boys.

Bill Bower is a retired Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Officer. Read his blog and listen to his podcasts on the outdoors at www.onemaningreen.com.