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Plants are listed by common name |
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Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) (Rhus radicans) Common Names: Climbing or three-leaved ivy. Poison oak. Climath. Mercury. Range: Throughout North America to Mexico. Description: A plant of many sizes and shapes, but with leaves that always consist of three leaves with pointed tips, the middle leaf on a long stalk. The shape of the leaves varies greatly, oak like, plain or with teeth, smooth or lightly hairy. |
T. rydbergii is a northern plant extending south to New York and Indiana or in the mountains to Virginia. It has a short erect stem, scarcely branched, with a few leaves near the top. T. Radicans throughout the range has a woody stem, straggling or climbing by its roots on trees, posts, etc. It rarely has toothed leaves. Both kinds may have leaves that are purplish in the early spring, shining green in summer and vivid red in the fall, unless growing in the shade. All have green-white flowers growing from the stem where the leaf is attached. These produce clusters of light gray berries.
All the poison ivy or sumac release a white juice when a leaf or stem is broken. This juice turns black on exposure to the air and carries in it the poisonous resin toxicodendrol, that cause the skin of a sensitive person to develop allergic symptoms on contact. Burning poison ivy or sumac leaves, twigs, and roots releases this resin in tiny drops on parts of the ash and dust in the smoke and can still cause severe reactions. There is no cure for the allergic symptoms but there are many treatments.
The result of contact with one of these plants is a red, bumpy skin rash, usually on areas of the body where the skin is thinnest, like the arms, shins and face. There may be swelling near the rash, which usually progresses to itchy blisters that ooze, harden and then crack. The rash may appear as early as a few hours or as late as 2 weeks after exposure. What determines how soon a person reacts after exposure is how sensitive he or she is to the plant and the number of previous times the person has been exposed to it.
The rash reaches its peak about 5 days after it begins. The blisters break open, releasing a watery liquid. Healing usually takes 1 to 2 weeks.
Most cases of poison ivy, oak or sumac can be cared for at home and don't require a trip to a doctor. However, a small percentage of people are highly allergic. If you break out in a rash within 4 hours of exposure and your eyes swell shut and blisters form, seek medical attention immediately.
To care for poison ivy, oak or sumac at home:
- wash the area thoroughly with lots warm water. If the skin is washed immediately after exposure to the poisonous plant, a
- rash may not develop, and
- to relieve itching: apply cotton cloths soaked in cool water or colloidal ointment like Aveeno bar to the area, or sponge the skin with alcohol,
- try soaking in a slightly warm bath with Aveeno or baking soda added to help with healing,
- apply calamine lotion or a paste of baking soda and water over the rash, and
- take an antihistamine like Benadryl or Chlor-Trimeton.
Clothing exposed to the poisonous plant should be washed. Shoes or clothing that can't be washed should be kept isolated in a well ventilated area for 3 weeks.
If the rash becomes extremely severe and painful, making normal activity difficult, or if any of the following symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor:
- the blisters continue to ooze longer than two weeks a fever develops, or
- lymph nodes in your neck, under your arms or in your groin
- area become swollen and sore.
A doctor should also be consulted if the medication prescribed for the poison oak, ivy or sumac causes any of these side effects:
- insomnia,
- nervousness or irritability,
- stomach upset, or
- weight gain.
- learn what each of the three plants looks like (click here for pictures) and avoid any contact with them. A poison ivy plant that grows in one area of the country may look different from one grown elsewhere. Learn what each plant looks like in your area.
- when in wooded areas, wear protective gloves, long sleeves and long pants tucked into socks.
- don't turn pets loose in the woods, since they may rub against the plants and pass the irritant along to other humans or animals.
- be careful not to touch dead branches from a poisonous plant since the chemical irritant on them lasts up to several year.
- do not burn these plants. You could inhale the oil from the plants through the smoke and infect your lungs.
History: Writing of the Indians of St. Lawrence during their wars..."They also use poisons made from the leaves of trees, herbs, and fruits, which are dried in the sun, and placed amongst the faggots and branches, then they set fire when they see the enemy approaching. Or, to fortify themselves, without loosing any of their men, they take a lot of faggots, pieces of small wood tied together, and branches of cedar all greased with seal and other fish oil, and some poisonous composition, and seeing their enemies, try to turn them against the wind, and place their enemy to face it: and then they set fire to the faggots, from which comes a smoke so thick, black and dangerous to breathe, as much for the fetid odor as for the poison mixed in these faggots, that several are suffocated." 1557-58 Thevet transl. 422.
"Poisonous trees. A species of Rhus..here called the 'poison tree' by both English and Swedes...I also know of that of two sisters, one could handle the tree without being affected by its poison, and the other immediately felt it as soon as the exhalation of the tree came near her." 1748 Kalm Philadelphia
"The alder or elder, termed the poisonous elder..endowed with a very extraordinary quality, that renders it poisonous to some constitutions..others may even chew the leaves or the rind without receiving the least detriment from them; the poison however is not mortal, though it operates very violently on the infected person, whose body and head swell to an amazing size, and are covered with eruptions, that at their height resemble the confluent small-pox. As it grows in so many provinces, the inhabitants cure its venom by drinking saffron tea, and anointing the external parts with a mixture composed of cream and marsh mallows. 1778 Carver 507.
"A milky juice exudes from the stalk and leaves which will stain linen a deep and unfading black. It is said to have been used by the Indians to stain the hardest substances black." 1785 Cutler Boston.
"The so-called Poison Vine grows plentifully in the bottoms. It climbs up the trees, much as a grape vine will, the main stem becoming as thick as an arm. Some are affected with swelling in the face and body if they touch it, other, even when the wind blows over it upon them. This if very painful until cured. Others do not suffer from the vine at all. This holds good of Indians as of others." 1779 Zeisberger, among the DELAWARE.
"Indians, part of the tribe of Aisence (The Clam)...Old Solomon asked me once or twice how I felt; and I thought his anxiety for my health was caused by the rain; but no, he told me that on the island where we had dined he had observed a great quantity of a certain plant, which , if only touched, caused a dreadful eruption and ulcer all over the body. I asked why he had not shown it to me, and warned me against it? and he assured me that such warning would only have increased the danger, for when there is any knowledge or apprehension of it existing in the mind, the very air blowing from it sometimes infects the frame. Here I appealed to Mr. Jarvis, who replied, 'All I know is, that I once unconsciously touched a leaf of it, and became one ulcer from head to foot; I could not stir for a fortnight.' I do not know the botanical name of this plant, which resembles a dwarf sumach...It is said that formerly the Indians used it to poison their arrows." 1838 Anna Jameson. Georgian Bay Lake Huron 163-4.
"Rhus Venenata...poison dogwood, poison elder, poison ash, poison sumach, swamp sumach, white sumach and varnish tree...masses of fragrant bloom, at the ends of the branches, which attract innumerable swarms of bees. Whether the honey derived from this source possesses any poisonous properties I am unable to say, but, as at various times there have been reports of poisoning by honey, it would be well worthy of investigation whether this form of poison ivy does not also abound there...this tree makes one of the handsomest shrubs imaginable when in blossom, but is, unfortunately, one of the most deadly...when incisions are made into its bark there is a copious flow of viscid fluid...which when boiled makes a fine varnish. The Indians were well aware of its properties." 1881 Burgess Can. Pharm. J. 14; 166-68
"The older full-blooded Indians are not readily poisoned by it, and in fact several of them use it for various household purposes, and have even been seen to eat a dozen leaves or more without distress, but the half-breeds are often badly affected by handling it...Its principal medicinal use is to burn out and remove warts from the hands. The practice is carried out by cutting the wart off to the quick and then applying the juice. I was told that after a few applications the roots is totally removed inside one or two days. It is used in similar manner to remove ringworms. One Indian, a Wailaki, informed me that if the fresh leaves were quickly bound to the wound made by a rattlesnake the effect of the venom would be counteracted. The fresh leaves were formerly used by the older squaws not only to wrap up acorn meal for the baking process, but as the late Dr. Charles Mohr informed the writer, from personal observation among the Concows near Marysville, to mix with it. The object was not ascertained. The slender stems are still occasionally used for circular withes in basket making. The fresh juice turns rapidly black on exposure to the air, and is sometimes used on this account to make temporary tattoo marks on the skin. These disappear as soon as the skin is renewed, but the color, as a rule, is very permanent. Some of the purest black strands seen in the Pomo baskets are produced according to Dr. Hudson, by applying the fresh juice to them." 1902 Chesnut 364
"Indian name climbs trees. This is a dangerous medicine, according to McIntosh, and is used only by the most skilled medicine men. The root is pounded and made into a poultice to put on a swelling to make it open." 1928 H. Smith MESKWAKI
"Mukwean (Bearskin), Flambeau [Ojibwe] medicine mean, called this a poison to the skin and said that the Ojibwe have no distinctive name for it. John Peper, one of the Bear island Pillager Indians, gave us the Indian name and said that no one now alive there knew how to use it. Since Kepeosatok, Meskwaki medicine man, at Tama, Iowa, used it in a certain manner for poulticing some kinds of swellings, the writer thinks this may be the use to which John Peper referred." H. Smith OJIBWE 354.
Poison ivy is used to prevent infection and heal wounds. The amount of the root used depends on the size of the wound. It is boiled in water until it is soft, drained and the root mashed. A poultice is placed over the wound. 1960 Walpole Island CHIPPEWA mss.
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