How to identify Poison Ivy plant

Poison ivy is typically a problem in the spring, summer and autumn, though you could come in contact with the winter dried leaves and get enough toxin to cause the disease. If you live in a hot climate, you could theoretically get poison ivy throughout the year. It is important to know what looks like a poison ivy plant so that you do accidentally walk by a patch of it. Similarly, you should know what poison and poison sumac are similar so that you may not be sumac and poison sumac.

Poison ivy is also called toxicodendron radicans and is a plant which grows in temperate climates. When it grows it grows to approximately one to two feet of soil and leaves are green in color when it is summertime. The leaves are a form of the ordinary elongated leaves that comes in groups of three to a branch. When you see this classic cluster of three leaves, assume it is poison ivy and stay away from her.

In the fall, the leaves turn brown like any other leaf, but it can be toxic. The toxin is an oily substance that can survive in cold climates. Avoid the leaves, even if they are brown. Wear gloves if you try to remove the plants from an area and wash right gloves after use so that you may not be the oily toxin on your body.

Poison ivy must be distinguished from poison, although both can give you a rash. In fact, the poison ivy, poison sumac and poison contain the same toxin called urushiol. It is the oily substance that your body comes in contact with and gives you the rash. Sumac also comes in three with the average leaf leaves on a larger stalk. Poison ivy is similar to poison oak, sumac can grow higher than poison ivy.

Poison sumac has leaves in a row of leaflets, paired with a brochure at the end of the stem. Poison sumac leaves often have black spots on it which contain heavy amounts of urushiol. This is what happens when the urushiol contact with air.

Poison ivy may grow in a form of vine, beware of three leaves of vines. Sumac is a shrub which has leaves resembling oak but entering three as mentioned. Poison sumac may also be a small plant resembling trees or may be a shrub. All the leaves of these plants turn yellow or red in the fall before turning brown.

Urushiol can come into contact with your skin and can cause a rash in a few seconds to reach the plant. This is why you must stay away from the plant in total. Takes approximately 12 to 72 hours before the allergic reaction to urushiol begins and the severe itching, redness, localized swelling and bulbs start to appear. The spread of the rash just when you thought eruption or can spread because it is an allergic reaction that often spreads anyway.