Poison Ivy Leaf

To be able to avoid or at least lessen the chance of dealing with itchy skin rashes, we must know how to identify the poison ivy. The well known trademark of the hardy weed is its compound leaves. Disregarding its allergic effect, poison ivy vines are actually attractive to look at in nature. We have heard of the rhyme “Leaves of three, leave them be.” This refers to the ternate having three leaflets shaped like almond. Each leaf is composed of three parts called leaflets. As a whole, the pattern is termed trifoliate. To be clearer, a poison ivy leaf follows a triangular pattern. The middle leaflet has notably longer stem than the other two lower side leaflets which have very short stalks. Some poison ivy leaves have side leaflets that feature a small notch making each leaflet look like a mitten with a thumb. Though the plant has not thorns, every leaflet has few or no teeth along its edge.

Generally, a new poison ivy leaf appears red in spring. The leaves are hard to distinguish sometimes; they become yellow or orange or red during autumn, and green in summer (light to dark green depending on age). This makes the plant more dangerous during these seasons. The mature leaves of the weed are somewhat smooth and oily shiny. Typically, each leaflet of a poison ivy leaf grows to a size of three to 12 cm. Clusters of the leaflet are alternate on the vine.

A poison ivy leaf is rich in oil content that is why it looks oily shiny. The oil is called urushiol which causes the skin problems when contacted. Urushiol can cause a rash to appear within 24 to 48 hours after contact. For very sensitive people (which almost applies to all people), the rash appears four to 12 hours after having contact with the colorless oil. The rash is very itchy, has swelling or inflammation, redness, and sometimes blisters. Getting in touch with the oil may be fatal to severe allergic people thus, the need to bring the sufferer to the nearest healthcare facility.

Poison ivy plants are found alongside disturbed areas such as gravelly or sandy soils, trails, gardens, landscapes, and dunes in large patches. That is why we need to be very careful when we go to such places. It is better to wear long sleeves, and long pants or socks to avoid getting in contact with the plant. A poison ivy leaf is attractive so beware. It is a need to have background knowledge about how a poison ivy leaf looks like to know how to deal with it once you encounter the plant. To recap, the three basic characteristics of the leaf are grouping of three leaflets, lack of thorns, and alternating pattern. If it is the end of growing season, the plant may have white berries which will give you another clue that the plant is a poison ivy. Also, if it climbs a tree or wall or any object, the aerial roots are thin and brown.