Greene: Earth and Sky
By Pete Zapadka
It’s Important to Learn More About The Leaflets Three
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Poison ivy, showing its classic three leaves, growing side by side in Jackson Township.
f all the green that makes up Greene County, one plant stands out from the rest. It’s not a crop, a tall, showy tree, nor is it a garden ornamental. Instead, it’s something to avoid. Poison ivy. No plant causes so much misery, so much discussion, yet is surrounded by so much misunderstanding. It is exasperating to think there are people who do not take time to learn to identify nor refuse to stay away from this potentially dangerous menace. Poison ivy, scientifically known as toxicodendron radicans, grows nearly everywhere in our corner of Pennsylvania. The plant can grow as a vine,
A batch of poison ivy, showing its often overlooked flowers that soon will be blooming. These plants were growing roadside in Jackson Township.
A closeup of poison ivy showing its flowers that bloom in late spring. These plants were growing roadside in Jackson Township.
MAY / JUNE
2017 • GreeneScene Magazine
on the ground or as a shrub, bush or tree. It can be found next to your house, along a rural road or a tumbling stream, climbing on your barn. It’s even in downtown Waynesburg, where passersby unwittingly may brush against it as they walk along North Richhill Street as they approach West High Street. Interestingly, poison ivy also is etched into Greene County history. Andrew Ellicott, the early American surveyor who completed the Mason-Dixon Line, set Pennsylvania’s southwest corner near Ned, and established our state’s western border, wrote this from the field on June 7, 1785, in a letter to his wife: “Poison Vine is in great abundance – my hands are compleately (sic) blistered as if I had applied a plaster of cantherides (a topical skin irritant) – I cannot see anything in this wilderness that can make it tolerably agreeable.” Ouch. That hurts. So does the itch caused by urushiol, the oily liquid in poison ivy’s sap that is invisible and odorless. It is an allergen that affects about 85 percent of people, or more than 50 million Americans annually. For some, the term “Leaflets three, let it be!” just isn’t a sufficient warning. Too often, people proclaim proudly, “I don’t get poison ivy!” There are two serious problems with that extremely shortsighted mindset: First, while it is true there are some people who are not affected by poison ivy, it’s important to understand that the more contact a person has with the plant, the more likely there will be an allergic reaction. So, in other words, you might not have gotten it yesterday and today, but there’s always tomorrow. Yes, that could be your day. Also, and of vital importance, is this: If you touch the plant and get the oil on you, it’s likely you’ll touch someone else and spread the oil to them. Remember, your pets won’t get poison ivy, but if they get urushiol on their fur and you pat them . . . So please, put a ban on your boasts and just
don’t touch poison ivy! There is no reason for getting personal with the plant. How do we avoid this noxious weed? Identification is a must. Poison ivy has three leaves. It’s that simple. Too many people, though, confuse it with Virginia creeper, which has five leaves – and there are some who confuse both plants with poison oak, which does not grow in Western Pennsylvania and has three leaves. Because wildlife, especially birds, consume the plant’s abundant berries, their droppings spread the poison ivy seeds virtually anywhere. Be on guard. Is there a brighter side to this plant? Indeed, not everything about poison ivy is terrible. The widespread plant consumes carbon dioxide and in turn emits plentiful oxygen into the atmosphere. Dr. Stan Kotala, a naturalist from central Pennsylvania, is adamant about his more positive view on the plant. “Poison ivy is not only an outstanding food source for wildlife, but also has outstanding fall color,” he said. To describe all aspects of poison ivy in one column is impossible. But there is a vibrant website available online for those who want to increase their knowledge of poison ivy: www.poison-ivy. org.
Virginia creeper, which has five leaves, inexplicably sometimes is called poison ivy, which has three leaves. Some even call this plant poison oak, which also has three leaves and does NOT grow in Western Pennsylvania.
Here, you’ll also learn about varieties of poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac – a rarely seen small tree that does grow locally, but only in swamps or consistently wet areas. A poison ivy quiz also is available. It is in your best interest to learn to identify poison ivy and by all means, stay away. Your health, and likely that of your family, depends on it. Pete Zapadka is a Greene County property owner and a retired local news editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He can be reached at pzapadka@yahoo.com.
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