Itchy Scratchy

Poison Ivy climbing a Hornbeam or Musclewood Tree in Florida

This is a public service message brought to you by a representative of the sensitive skin club. Me. It's that time of year again when the birds and bugs are active and the new summer flowers are blooming on the roadsides. It's also the time that the skeeters are biting, the ticks and chiggers are lurking in the grass, and the Poison Ivy is sprouting. And when I go out in pursuit of nature adventures and good photos, I keep finding myself face to face (or ankle to leaf) with the whole lot of them. Today I would like to familiarize you with Eastern Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). Perhaps some other day I will have something nice to share about ticks and chiggers. I have a hard time seeing any redeeming points in those pests, so I have (so far) no photos. But Poison Ivy, on the other hand, is actually a pretty plant. And it is also bigger than a pinhead (unlike chiggers and ticks), so I have lots of photos to share. But I digress.

This all came to me a month or so ago when I was traveling in Northern California at the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve and came across a huge patch of Pacific Poison Oak. I'm not so familiar with Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum), but I was able to recognize it because of some helpful signage, and therefore kept my parents and myself from accidentally brushing against it. It did look somewhat similar to the good ol' itchy stuff from back home, but as a lush and bushy plant, it had a different habit and I might have accidentally blundered into it without the signs.

When I got back home it was time to lead school groups on trail walks at the nature center, and the beginning of Poison Ivy season, and I always try to help the kids learn to identify the plant so they can enjoy the outdoors without the itch. My experience in California got me thinking that I wasn't sure I knew the difference between Poison Oak and Poison Ivy. I have often heard people equate the two, so I did some research and learned some interesting facts about these plants. I have never come across Poison Sumac which also grows in the South, though I am familiar with other types of Sumac.

Poison Ivy is not actually ivy, and Poison Oak is not an oak. Both plants, and Poison Sumac are all in the same plant family, Anacardiaceae--the Sumac or Cashew family. The family also includes Mangoes and now Pistachios. These plants are not poisonous in the sense that they will kill you (unless you have a severe allergic reaction). But they have sap that contains Urushiol, a compound that causes (sometimes severe) contact dermatitis. I recently learned that the people who process cashew nuts can get a similar reaction from handling the sap and so it is important to buy cashews from ethical sellers who protect the health of their workers.

All parts of a Poison Ivy plant can cause the skin reaction. The leaves, the berries, the vine, and even the dead leaves and vines. Urushiol can become airborn if the plants are burned, or ground fine with a mower, so care must be taken when handling the plants at all times. I believe that Poison Oak and Poison Sumac are similar, but I am not sure because I don't have direct experience with either one. But as I read more I learned that though Eastern Poison Oak does occur in the Southeast, it is not as common and looks a lot like Poison Ivy and it is hard to distinguish between the two. Poison Sumac is also present in the Southeast, though it is even less common, and this may explain why I don't know those plants well. Poison Ivy, on the other hand, is widespread across the eastern half of the US. Pacific Poison Oak is extremely common along the entire West Coast.

Most people are allergic to these plants, though not all. About 85% of people react. The other 15% can consider themselves fortunate, but they still need to be careful because the oils from the plants can be tracked into the house on shoes, tools, clothing and even pets, and when that happens, the reactive people in the household will become very angry. Animals do not seem to be bothered by the irritating oils, maybe because of fur or feathers, or they're just born lucky.

If you do come in contact with one of the itch-causing plants, wash and scrub immediately and vigorously with cold, soapy water, or with special soap such as Technu. Simple handwashing won't work. And warm or hot water is not good because it opens your pores and lets the oils sink in deeper. If you can find some Jewelweed, which conveniently grows in the same habitat as Poison Ivy, it is supposed to help. If you get the rash, I pity you, but calamine lotion does help. But the best thing is to just avoid it. I have had Poison Ivy rashes twice. Once when I didn't know the plant and got into it in my Florida yard. It took 3 weeks for the rash to stop itching and oozing. The other time I just got careless and brushed my cheek against a vine, even though I had been told to watch out. Another 3 weeks of itching and oozing later, and I was a crusader for Poison Ivy avoidance.

If you have Poison Ivy in your yard, my experience is that you can remove it if you are cautious. Use disposable gloves and clean your cutting and digging tools very carefully and you should be ok. Be careful not to let it get on your clothes or you can spread it to other items in the washing machine. As I mentioned, if you mow or burn, be careful not to breath the airborn sap, or you may find yourself in the hospital or taking steroids.

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is a traditional remedy for Poison Ivy rash

So how do you avoid this stuff? Get to know it and stay away from it! And wear closed toed shoes and long pants in the woods. That's how you keep the ticks and chiggers away, too, so I'm always ready.

I don't know anything about Poison Sumac, so I won't try to help you with ID. You're on your own there. Photos I find online resemble other Sumacs I've seen. And I'm not an expert with Poison Oak, either, which appears to be a shape shifter that can grow into a big bush that looks like an oak tree. Descriptions say they can have 3 or 6 or 9 leaves. Here is my one photo from California. You can see that this one does resemble Poison Ivy.

Pacific Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)

But for Poison Ivy remember these:

"Leaves of three, leave it be" or "Leaves of three, don't touch me"

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), 3 leaflets. I think that on young plants, the outer two leaves look like mittens.

Poison Ivy leaves grow with three leaflets on a stem. The edges can be smooth, or lobed, but the leaflets will grow in clusters of three. Often the young leaves have a shiny, waxy look. I think the young outer leaflets resemble mittens.

Poison Ivy can be a trailing vine, a climbing vine or a small shrub. It will not have thorns. If it has thorns, you may get poked, but you're safe from Poison Ivy! (Unless they're growing on the same tree, which happens a lot). Many plants are mistaken for Poison Ivy. Here are a few.

This one looks like Poison Ivy but it is a Boxelder sapling. Look for toothed leaf edge, and opposite pairs of leaf stems from the main stalk.

Not Poison Ivy. This is a Blackberry. The leaves are toothed and the stem has small thorns.

Also not Poison Ivy. This plant is in the Legume (pea) family. It has 3 leaves, but they are a more teardrop shape and the leaves are hairy.

This is Virginia Creeper and is often mistaken for Poison Ivy, but it is not. Notice the 5 leaflets rather than 3.

Oak Leaves. Not Poison Ivy or Poison Oak

Poison Ivy plants sprout on the ground and the vine grows, often climbing a tree. An older vine can be deceptive because it can grow branches and the leaves can be huge. But they will still adhere to the "leaves of three" rule. If you have climbing vine a you can use the next mnemonic,

"Hairy is Scary"

Poison Ivy vines have root hairs to attach to the tree trunk and the older vines can almost look like a furry beast climbing a tree. In the winter when the vines have dropped their leaves (they are deciduous), the hairy vine can be your only clue that there is Poison Ivy nearby. Don't hug trees with hairy vines. And speaking of deciduous vines, be cautious when collecting spear-shaped red and orange leaves if you don't know what tree they came from. They could be Poison Ivy.

Big and hairy vine. To me it looks like a monkey tail.

Poison Ivy vine that climbed a Tulip Poplar and grew branches. Most of the branches you see are the Poison Ivy. 

Poison Ivy in fall colors. It is beautiful!

So if these plants are to be avoided at all cost, why don't we just eradicate them? The kids always ask me that. But I tell them to consider this: the leaves are pretty, lush and green. In the fall they are a gorgeous red, orange and yellow. They provide cool shade and oxygen in the forest and contribute to the biomass. They give shelter to birds, insects and squirrels, and their berries are food. Poison Ivy is just another part of the forest. Just because something annoys people doesn't mean that it shouldn't exist. We just need to find a way to live around our annoying neighbors because they are the spice of life.

Poison Ivy berries (they are white--this is an identification tool) provide important food for wildlife

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker climbing a tree with hairy Poison Ivy vines

Question Mark Butterfly amid the Poison Ivy leaflets

Everywhere I Wander...

It's been a busy summer! So far this season I have journeyed to Salt Lake City, to Anastasia State Park on the northeast coast of Florida, all around Alachua County, and more recently, taken a train trip to New York City followed by a car trip to Prouts Neck, a little summer community south of Portland, Maine. Very different regions and very different experiences. One of the joys of leaving home is that I get to familiarize myself with a whole new place. Just a short drive from home puts me in the midst of birds and flowers that I vaguely recognize, but can't quite ID without help. And I'm just not all that familiar with their behavior or habit. Life at the seashore, for example. I've studied Florida's coastal systems, but I've never lived right there and just don't know that much about the habitat. But I love to learn, so I watch a lot, take lots of photos and spend hours afterwards poring over my field guides to figure out what I've seen. The trip to New York and Maine was no different.

View From the Cliff Walk

In Maine, it got light VERY early (at least compared to here in Florida). I was woken by the sun at the crack of dawn and took advantage of staying right at the water's edge to get out exploring every day as early as I could. When we first decided that we were going to Maine, I was hopeful about the possibility that I'd get to see some Puffins. But it turns out that they are quite a bit north of where we were staying, so no Puffins. I'll have to save them for the next, extended, visit. My first journey out took me along the rocky cliffs overlooking the sea. Access to the cliffs takes you right past Winslow Homer's studio. Imagine his painted seascapes and you will know how lovely the view was. I walked past hedges of wild roses and patches of forget me nots. I was alone with no sounds but the gulls and the roar of the waves for the first half hour or so, and then slowly the village stirred back to life.

Forget-Me-Nots

There were not many songbirds along the way, but I did see a few of the regulars: catbirds, robins, and song sparrows. There was no shortage of shorebirds, however. When I looked out over the cliffs I saw many large Herring gulls, busily catching crabs and dropping them onto the rocks to break their shells. I also saw a new bird. I forgot my binoculars, so couldn't tell what it was. A few more swam close. At first I wrongly guessed that they were Petrels, and later I decided that it was some sort of duck or goose, but had to talk to my sister-in-law to figure out that they were Eider Ducks!

Herring Gull Tossing a Crab in the Sand

Eider Duck

On subsequent trips to the Clam Flats and the swimming beaches I saw more Eider Ducks and Herring Gulls, as well as Ring Billed Gulls, Oystercatchers, Bonaparte Gulls, and Least Terns diving to catch fish. I watched a group of Ring Billed Gulls standing in knee high water and shuffling their feet to bring up goodies to eat. One of the gulls had orange tags on its wings and bands on its legs, but I couldn't tell much more about it to know if there is anyone to contact about the sighting.

Tagged Ring-Billed Gull, Doing the Shuffle

My family saw an eagle picking at a dead seal, but I was home napping and missed that one. Darn! I did catch sight of an Osprey with a Flounder in its claws and some Terns trying to steal it. Every evening there were Common Loons in the bay.

Osprey, Terns and Flounder

I only saw a couple butterflies when we were in Maine. I'm pretty sure I saw a Mourning Cloak butterfly in the yard, and there were some Sulphurs in the bushes at the side of the road. I can't say why there were so few--maybe it was too early in the season. What they did have a lot of was Japanese Beetles that were eating everything, including the wild roses. The beetles are actually quite pretty, but they lost their appeal in such great numbers.

Mating Beetles and Denuded Leaf

My walk up the road to the cliffs brought me close to the roadside wildflowers and weeds. Common Milkweed grows there, as does St. John's Wort, Goldenrod, Sumac and Queen Anne's Lace.

Common Milkweed

St. John's Wort

Sumac

Queen Anne's Lace (I never noticed the tiny black seeds in the center before.)

There is also a lot of Poison Ivy. Luckily, Jewelweed, nature's antidote to the Poison Ivy rash, grows there, too. Jewelweed often grows in the same habitat as Poison Ivy, which is rather convenient. (I learned about this plant when we lived in Wisconsin. Sadly, Jewelweed doesn't grow in North Central Florida, even though we have a healthy supply of Poison Ivy). There were blackberry bushes along the walkways with ripe berries there for the munching, and we harvested seaweed for a fabulous clam/lobster boil. Maine was wonderful!

Jewelweed

Bowl of Seaweed for Clam/Lobster Boil

Sun Rays over the Bay

Wonderful Maine Sunset

I love New York city, but this trip gave us quite a contrast compared to Maine. Where Maine was cool, New York was hot, hot, hot. Maine was quiet and peaceful and New York was noisy and chaotic. In Maine we saw lots of gulls and terns. In New York we saw lots of pigeons. But New York is about the greatest city experience ever, with restaurants, museums, stores, and people-watching. To make it even better, every few blocks you will find some sort of city park, with plenty of trees, benches and cooling greenery. Parks go a long way towards creating a more humane living space. On the last morning of our trip we took a walk through one of New York's most innovative parks, The High Line.

The High Line

The High Line is an elevated park, and I mean this both literally and figuratively. Genius residents and planners saw possibility in the abandoned elevated freight train platforms that criss-crossed the skyline of Chelsea and the Meat Packing District. Now, where once dilapidated rail lines loomed overhead, there are elevated greenways combining concrete, rail ties, trees, flowers, park benches, city views and public art.  Currently the High Line stretches for about 1.5 miles, but the city is in the process of expanding the park. It is a perfect combination of beautiful landscape architecture, recycling and urban renewal.  Even on the hottest morning there were people out walking and enjoying the views from above the street.

View up W. 23rd Street

Benches at various nooks and bends give opportunity for rest and contemplation. There is access via stairway from many streets, and elevator access at some entrances, too. Sculptures, paintings and poetry further redefine the old vision of a Park.

Motion Activated Sound Installation
(Here's a Youtube video/recording of "The Good Animals" part)

Mural From the Air

Park Sculpture

Another Sculpture and View

My Favorite Art Piece--A textured wall with a surface that reflects everything around it

The plant and flower beds are very interesting. At first I thought that they represented native plants of the area. But a friend told me that it is a specialized community of the self-seeded plants--weeds and whatnot, that grew on the old train tracks. I find the landscaping to be inspirational for my own garden.

Nectar for the City Bees in the Wildflowers

Color and Concrete

Plants growing through the "cracks"--recalling the originally self-seeded flora.

The High Line is very diverse and pretty. A refuge in the heart of the city. As if to make a point, a huge Tiger Swallowtail floated down to feed on some Echinacea flowers as we walked by.

Tiger Swallowtail Feeding in the Heart of the City

Manhattan and the coast of Maine. Both wonderful and full of surprises. Everywhere I wander, I find a new place to love and learn.