Summertime is full upon us, and with the increased outdoor activity comes the risk of encountering poison ivy. Poison ivy comes in many shapes, but the key to identifying the plant is its three-leaf configuration.

The Indiana DNR has some good general information on poison ivy: A master of disguise, poison ivy can take the form of a vine, shrub, or ground cover. It can have shiny leaves or dull leaves. The leaf edges can be smooth or notched. So how can you spot poison ivy? The phrase “Leaves of three, let it be” is a pretty good rule of thumb. Whether hiking in the woods or playing in a field, beware of any plant with three leaflets.

The cause of all the itching horrors is a chemical called urushiol. Contact through the skin can cause a rash and or blisters. Breathing it in can irritate the lining of the lungs which usually happens when poison ivy is burned because the smoke can contain the chemical. Poison ivy should never be burned as the smoke can carry tiny droplets of urushiol which can coat the skin and can cause the most severe of reactions.

A common poison ivy myth is scratching will cause the rash to spread. This is untrue. Although it may seem the rash may spread over time instead of all at once, it will only occur where the urushiol has touched the skin. It is either because the urushiol is absorbed at different rates in different parts of the body or because of repeated exposure to the contaminated objects or having the chemical trapped under the fingernails. Scratching can cause an infection, so fight the urge to scratch!

Urushiol is found in the woody vining stems climbing tree trunks. You can recognize poison ivy vines in winter when the leaves have dropped by looking for (but not touching!) tiny rootlets anchoring the poison ivy vine to the tree. Virginia creeper, which similarly climbs trees, does so using tiny suction cups. Grapevines, which are also woody and have similar growth habits, do not have these tiny rootlets.

Besides providing humans with days of itching and scratching, you may ask yourself “Does poison ivy have any good uses?” Surprisingly, for some wildlife there is. In the winter when food is scarce, some birds will eat the white berries and deer will munch on poison ivy twigs. So, remember, while you are itching (but not scratching!), the poison ivy you tangled with may be helping local wildlife through the winter.

Since I was very sensitive to poison ivy as a child, I soon learned to be on the alert to identify any possible contaminating plants I might encounter. The burning, blistering and itching rash is horrible to endure and can bring outdoor fun to a quick halt.

All the kids in the neighborhood seemed almost “immune” to poison ivy in the summertime. We just didn’t get it, or for some reason rarely contacted it. In the fall or early spring, we would often run afoul of the woodland scourge, but not so much in the summertime. The reason… we literally lived in the river during the warm months. The poison ivy was just as abundant in the summer, but urushiol is somewhat water soluble. Being in the river and constantly in the water kept us urushiol free and from becoming contaminated.

One great preventative for poison ivy is to take a luke-warm bath after any possible contamination. Don’t use hot water or soap as they will strip your naturally protective skin oil.  Just apply plenty of water to wash away the urushiol.

I’ve seen parents perplexed and wondering how a toddler could come down with a case of poison ivy. Urushiol is long lasting and can act as an irritant and can be passed on from boots, clothes or garden gloves for over a year!  Even Fido the family dog or the cat can cross contaminate a human if they have been exposed.

The good news is there are some wonderful topical ointments available to treat the itching and burning of poison ivy. Check with your local pharmacist for more information.

Remember that avoidance is the best protection.  “Leaves of three… let them be!”

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com 

Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.