 We've
all probably heard the expression. "Leaves of three,
let it be." The expression refers to poison ivy, and
a run-in with this plant can be an unpleasant experience.
The leaves and stems of poison ivy contain an irritating oil
that can cause a rash or blisters on affected skin. The
rash may appear within a day or two of contact, and can last up
to two weeks.
It's interesting to note that some people are extremely
sensitive to poison ivy, and others seem to march through the
stuff with little or no effect. Reactions range from minor
itching and mild rashes to severe blistering.
In any event, it's worth learning to recognize the plant.
It generally grows as a low ground cover, and as the expression
indicates, it has clusters of leaflets in groups of three.
The edges of the leaflets have irregular "teeth."
To complicate matters, poison ivy doesn't always grow as a low
ground cover - it can also look like a medium sized shrub or
even in rare cases like a vine growing up trees or rock faces.
The leaves are reddish or burgundy coloured when they first
appear in the spring, then turn shiny green during the summer,
and by the fall, can be bright red or yellow like the plant in
the photograph above.
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