THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503110023
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G16 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: WEEDER'S DIGEST
SOURCE: BY ROBERT STIFFLER, GARDENING COLUMNIST
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
IT CAN GROW as an upright shrub or as a climbing or sprawling vine, deep in the backwoods or right in your backyard. Its leaflets vary in shape, with margins that may be smooth, toothed and/or lobed, and range in finish from glossy to dull.
The villain described above is poison ivy and it's so variable in appearance that the old couplet, ``Leaflets three, let it be'' is the best advice on identification that always holds true. Michigan State University specialist Doug Lantagne says that leaflet are the only reliable way to identify it. They always occur in groups of three, alternately along the stem.
Though most painful experiences with poison ivy begin when a person comes in direct contact with the plant and its irritating oil, the oil can also be acquired second hand, from clothing, tools, pets or other items that came in contact with plants - or from smoke from burning poison ivy plants. People who inhale the oil smoke can have especially severe problems.
Skin contact with the oil results in blotching of the skin and burning water blisters, itching, swelling and throbbing pain. Symptoms may occur soon after exposure or may take up to several days to show up.
People vary in their sensitivity. I'm fortunate in that I can pull it up, haul it to the garbage and never have one iota of trouble. But I often wonder, as I age, if this is smart to do. But Michigan State authorities warn people who know they have been exposed but suffered no reaction should avoid poison ivy as much as possible. Sensitivity to it can develop with repeated exposure.
All parts of poison ivy contain and secrete the oil that causes the symptoms. If you think you have come in contact with poison ivy, wash exposed areas with a strong alkali soap such as yellow laundry soap or naptha or with alcohol. Ordinary hand soap is too mild and does not remove the oil completely.
Poison ivy usually grows along fence rows, roadsides and power transmission lines as well as in parks, woods and meadows - often in your backyard, where it can be intermingled with landscape plants. It arrives by way of birds and other wildlife that have fed on its waxy white berries. The birds spread the seeds in their droppings.
Controlling poison ivy on your home grounds can be difficult. Digging plants out when the soil is wet is one approach. The trick is to remove all roots from the soil. Any roots left behind will grow into new plants. Controlling with herbicides is another option. The key is to treat the poison ivy without harming the lawn, trees, shrubs or other desirable plants nearby.
Monsanto, the manufacturers of Roundup, say Roundup will kill poison ivy after two applications. They say to spray it once, then let it grow back up to 18 inches so there is more leaf surface and spray again. They also make Brush-B-Gon and say that often works better to control poison ivy and poison oak than Roundup. Follow directions on the label.
The best tactic is to kill the plant in place and leave it there, said Lantagne. ``After the plant dies, the leaves, stems and roots will decompose. You should be careful not to work in the area too soon after killing the ivy.''
Any tools you use around poison ivy should be cleaned with alcohol. Clothes that may be contaminated with the soil should be washed in an alkaline detergent and hot water, preferably by someone who is not terribly sensitive to poison ivy. That person should then wash any skin that may have been exposed to oil on the clothes, using alcohol, yellow laundry soap or naptha, to avoid poisoning or transferring the oil to other people or objects.
Poison oak, which can be just as harmful, also has three leaves - so always follow the rule: ``Leaflets three, let it be.'' by CNB