You are out for a walk, maybe even in your back yard, there’s some lush green vegetation and you happen to walk or reach into and the next thing you know… you are itching, have welts or even blisters. Poison Ivy can grow almost anywhere, not just in the woods. Kevin Lohraff, the MDC’s Runge Nature Center’s Manager says it’s the oils of the plant that will get you.
Lohraff says identifying Poison Ivy is important. It is a plant that has a leaf grouping of three leaflets.
To clean the oils off, use cold water and soap so you do not open up your pores while cleaning up. Also, the clothes you were wearing can re-infect you until they have been fully washed.
Some people want to kill off the plants and get rid of the Poison Ivy, especially in their yards. Lohraff says it is an important part of the ecosystem.
If you want to know more about poison ivy search the MDC website for poison ivy.
