Poison Ivy Vine Plant ID

A

andrew7978

Joined
Mar 19, 2007
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The other thread about poison ivy got me thinking. People have been in the woods behind my house and have gotten a lot of poison ivy. I think this vine may be the culprit. Can anyone confirm or deny this? The vine runs up the length of the tree and has thin little hair-like roots all over it. The vine is probably an inch to an inch and half in diameter.

Thanks!
20.jpg

19.jpg
 
Looks like it, but is more 'rooty' than I usually see it. Probably because it is older and bigger. See if I can find another picture.


Doc

Here's a couple more:

PoisonIvy1-D.jpg


PoisonIvy1.jpg
 
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That's three shiney leaves. Poison ivy can grow very large .I've seen it at least three inches in diameter ! The reaction is an allergic reaction. NEVER burn poison ivy as the oils then fill the air and into your lungs and a hospital stay is garanteed !!
 
I've seen "old" PI vines that look just like that... thats an big one, my friend..... I would say YES.
 
Thanks guys thats what I thought.

BTW nice pics doc, I know I can always rely on your knowledge of plants.


I know the reaction on your skin is from the oil on the plant. Would just touching this vine give a person poison ivy, or would they have to touch the leaves, which I assume will come back in the Spring?
 
Any part of the plant will have the oil. The winter gives you a little more protection because the plant in dormant... but not much! You can get a rash decades after the plant is dead... or from the shovel you used to chop one up back in 1935!!! The oil takes a LONG time to break down on its own.
 
I can ID and avoid, and keep soap for those 'just in case' times in the woods, but how do you guys destroy a patch you find on your property?
 
Yup, that's definitely poison ivy. I've seen vines even bigger than that around here, there's a tree at the end of my driveway with a nearly wrist-thick vine that sprouts leaves with each being the size of my hand! I steer clear of the stuff.

A mix of salt and dish detergent (I think that was it) I found online somewhere will kill it if sprayed on the leaves, as will Rid-X. Supposedly it absorbs it down into the roots, and so far it's worked where I've used it. It will kill most anything else, too, though, so you have to be careful where you spray.
 
andrew7978 said:
I know the reaction on your skin is from the oil on the plant. Would just touching this vine give a person poison ivy, or would they have to touch the leaves, which I assume will come back in the Spring?
Click to expand...

As Rick said, any part of the plant in any season can cause the allergic reaction, but it may not. You have to come in contact with the urushiol. Rick mentioned contracting it from the shovel you last used in 1935. I've read about people getting poison ivy from 100 year old herbarium specimens. :eek:

Like the old song said, "You can look but ya better not touch.........Poison Ivy".

Doc
 
I had the same thing in my back yard 2 years ago and it was PI. I would say kill it with total vegetation killer just to make sure.
 
Roundup works good on poison ivy, as well as other things. I'm usually just fine by avoiding the stuff, rarely bothered too much by it. 2-4D should kill it as well.
 
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