Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Poison Ivy - It's Out There

Every spring I post some photos of poison ivy just in case someone out there doesn't know what it looks like. You really don't want to touch this stuff and suffer weeks of terrible itching! If you do come in contact with it, there's special soap that will help remove the oils from your skin. We have lots of poison ivy in the woods around our house and I treat it like a haz-mat scene. Make sure your loved ones can identify this plant.



Is it true that Australia doesn't have any poison ivy?

19 comments:

Anne said...

Yes it's true ... and no bears either!

Jo-anne Blossy said...

Its true there is no poison ivy here. Does that mean we win a prize? lol

Silly Goose said...

No ivy, but I figure what with all the snakes, spiders and creepy crawlies, we can do with out it!

Martha said...

There is no poison ivy in England either. My daughter was very surprised to get poison ivy from a night wander in some woods behind my sister's house when she was visiting Baltimore. We do have stinging nettles though!

simplestitches said...

I'm with Silly Goose...no poison ivy, but all the poisonous snakes are more than enough to deal with! oh and the spiders and other creepy things...

Joan said...

I grew up being very familiar with poison ivy. And I much prefer it to the scorpions that I've been told live in Australia.

Pinkadot Quilts said...

I get poison ivy very easily. One important point, you have a very short time to wash it off or the oil will bond with your skin and no amount of washing will get it off. The new soaps help but are not fool proof.
Also if the oil is on your clothes, gardening tools or even your dog and you touch it you will get it. I know all this from itchy experience!

Anonymous said...

Australia has the Hairy Huntsman spider, which is enough to keep most sane people in the States! Knock on wood, I don't get poison ivy, but I do remember a young boy at summer camp years ago who mistakenly used some as TP out in the woods... Let's just say it was NOT pleasant for him!

Me and My Stitches said...

Oh, how I wish we did not have poison ivy. Hate it!

Elsa said...

oh, I've had the unfortunate poison ivy rash. It is terrible.

Colleen said...

I had poison ivy last summer and let me tell you...it was HORRIBLE!!! I didn't know I had gotten into it and I ended up with it on my upper thighs (that were mirror-images of each other), my arms, and my chest. I must have spread that oil from the plant on my body and I didn't know it was there. I couldn't sleep for about 2 weeks because of the itch and burn. I used every over the counter product and a few helped but it took at least 6 weeks to clear up. I thought I was going to lose my mind!!! Then my DH had a doctor's appointment and I went with him and the nurse told me I should have come in because they could have given me a shot (cortisone, I think) that would have helped a lot. Now, I'm very careful when I'm out in the back yard. My DH sprayed last year but I don't know if that helps this year.

Nifty Quilts said...

Thank you! I know we have it around here, but I've never known exactly what it looked like. Quite an innocent looking plant.

DianeY said...

I've never seen it so thanks for the photo-it actually looks like a pretty plant! I guess Hawaii is pretty fortunate not to have it or bears or the Hairy Huntsman spider!

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

I know it to well.... on the farm growing up, I'd get it in the middle of winter! how on earth did that happen? the boots were wore.... I ALWAYS had poison ivy...

Kim said...

Leaves of 3 leave them be!
Nasty, nasty stuff.......can ruin a whole summer.
I take the plastic sleeve our newspaper comes in then make a double layer put my hand inside and pull the weed out of the ground right into the bag and into the garbage it goes. Be careful with this weed!

Happy Sewing

Carla said...

Oh, yes! My woods are full of it as well. I dread the day one of my sweet grandchildren shows an allergy to it like my husband and two boys. I've never broken out so may not be allergic to it, but still take great precautions. In case any one wonders, Round Up makes a spray to kill it. ...we need to go "hunting" as we haven't done it yet this season. Thanks for posting the picture...good idea!

OliveStreetStudio said...

It's all over Fire Island. I had it many times as a young girl and taught my 4YO to spot it already...I used to use brown soap and Rhueli-cream (think that's how it's spelled), which worked well to heal it fast!

Helen said...

You are a true public servant to post this picture to remind folks and alert everyone to the problems this little plant can cause.

Thanks!

Erica said...

Sounds nasty! Glad we don't have poison ivy in the UK. x