While pets aren't allergic to urushiol and, therefore, won't develop a rash, the oil can transfer from their fur to you.
Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) also inhabits pinewoods and hardwood forests.It is related to poison oak and poison ivy plants, which is why the three plants cause a similar skin rash. Wash pets or gardening tools if they may have touched poison ivy. What is Poison Sumac Poison sumac is a woody shrub mostly found in swamps and wet areas of the northeastern and southern United States.This may help you avoid a rash and will prevent the oil from spreading to other areas of the body. Wash the affected area with soap and lukewarm water within 15 minutes of touching poison ivy, to remove any urushiol.Be cautious when touching trees, as poison ivy can grow up a tree and then out along its branches, Loewenstein says.The oil can pass through thin latex and rubber gloves, says Sara Hogan, a board-certified dermatologist at Laser Skin Care Center and health sciences clinical instructor with UCLA Dermatology. Wear thick vinyl gardening gloves if you're gardening where poison ivy might be growing.This protects your skin from brushing against poison ivy. Wear long sleeves and pants if going hiking or exploring an area near dense vegetation.Important: Don't burn poison ivy, because the smoke can cause difficulty breathing. However, touching the vine can still cause a rash because all parts of the poison ivy plant - from the roots to the leaves - contain the oil urushiol, which 50% to 70% of US adults are sensitive to. In the winter, the plant loses its leaves. In the fall, the leaves may be red or yellow. The vine has a hairy appearance.Īs seasons change, so can poison ivy. The small, berry-like fruit is a cream color, and the flowers are a greenish cream color, but they're pretty nondescript and typically tucked under the leaves, so you may not even notice them, says Nancy Loewenstein, PhD, extension specialist with the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.
The stems can be green or reddish, and the area where the leaflets come together sometimes has a red tint. The middle leaflet is larger and has a stalk connecting it to the other two. Poison ivy has groups of three leaflets, hence the warning "leaves of three, let it be." The leaflets sometimes have "teeth" or notches on the side. If you come into contact with the plants, wash your skin and. Eastern poison ivy grows as a vine, and western poison ivy grows more like a shrub, but they share these characteristics: The best way to avoid the rash is to learn what the plants look like and stay away from them.
North America is home to several subspecies of poison ivy, but the two main types are eastern and western poison ivy. Eastern poison ivy grows as a hairy vine with three leaves.