Be careful of Poison ivy, oak, sumac and hemlock š±
Leaves of three let it beā¦.
This is one of the most common ways people try to identify poison ivy and poison oak.
Itās the time of year many of us are out in the yard doing that last bit of clean-up, piling leaves high for the kids to jump into, and finally taking those hikes weāve been dreaming about now that itās cooler outside ššš
Did you know that when you look out into peopleās yards, as well as our lush forests, that those beautiful leaves that are the first to turn bright orange and red are usually some form of poisonous plant?
Well, today, Iāll share with you some of the most common poisonous plants to watch out for here in NJ (and, any time of the year); and what to do if you come into contact with them.
Before we get started, I hope you found last weekās newsletter helpful on āHow to survive your seasonal fall allergiesā. If you missed it, you can use this link, Here.
Okay, letās take a sneak peak at poison ivy, oak, sumac and hemlockā¦
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Left to Right: Poison Ivy, Poison Oak & Poison Sumac
Poisonous plants! Runaway?! Okay, poison ivy, oak, and sumac arenāt actually āpoisonousā, and you donāt need to abandon your hike the moment you see it. But, by knowing what to look for and how to avoid contact, you can safely enjoy the great outdoors.
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are three of the most common irritant plants in North America; and they affect as many as 50 million Americans each year!
All three of these plants have an oily resin called urushiol that is found on their leaves, stems, and roots. Most people (about 85%) are allergic to urushiol, and when it comes in contact with the skin will develop an itchy, red, blistering rash.
This rash can last for weeks and is very uncomfortable. So, how can you avoid this unwanted pesky rash? Your best line of defense is knowing what to look for and how to protect yourself.
Poison hemlock has different challenges, Iāll cover that laterā¦.
Poison Ivy in the Fall
POISON IVY
Poison ivy is one of the first plants to change color in the fall, and its leaves can turn a brilliant red, yellow, or orange. They may be tempting for leaf collectors, but don't touch! They can still give you a rash, just like green poison ivy leaves.
What Does Poison Ivy Look Like?
Poison ivy has three almond-shaped leaflets growing at the end of each stem. The leaflets have a smooth surface and can be yellow to light green, dark green, or bright orange/red in color. Mature plants have leaves that are somewhat shiny. Poison ivy can grow as a shrub or a vine, including climbing vines that grow up trees. The color and shape of the leaves can vary by location, but poison ivy will always have three leaflets.
Where Does Poison Ivy Grow?
Poison ivy is common throughout most of the U.S., and typically grows in wooded areas, especially at the edges where there is some sun (like trails and roads!).
Remember, poison ivy is found on the ground, climbing on trees, fences, and walls, and can also be found in small shrubs. Poison ivy always comes with three leaves and never has thorns or sharp or scalloped edges.
Poison ivy also grows in places you might not even realize! Sidewalks and vacant lots can be a breeding ground for poison ivy. Another fact you might not know is that every state has poison ivy except Hawaii and Alaska.
While it is more common during the spring and summer months, keep in mind that poison ivy can irritate your skin any time of the year. You can still develop a rash if you come into contact with the plant during the fall and winter. Poison ivy leaves will turn orange in the fall and then red in the winter before falling off the plant.
Poison Ivy can be tricky!
Another thing some people are not aware of, is that the entire plant of poison ivy (roots, and all) is dangerous. Do NOT attempt to burn poison ivy (or any other poisonous plant) that you have dug up in your yard. The fumes still carry the urushiol oil, and if inhaled, will cause MAJOR damage to your respiratory system!
Poison ivy and oak can be tricky during the cooler times of year. The leaves change color and start to fall off the stems making it difficult to identify the plants. Unfortunately, the rash-causing oil is in all parts of the plants, including the stems. It may cause a rash without you knowing you touched it. So here are a few tips on how to avoid poison ivy and oak.
Avoid touching leafless vines. Poison ivy and oak lose their leaves in the fall and winter so you may come in contact with urushiol and not know it.
When pulling plants out of the ground, wrap plastic bags around them first to give yourself a protective barrier. Throw away the plants inside the plastic bags.
Wear gloves and long sleeves to help protect yourself from coming in contact with the plants.
If you think you may have been in contact with plants that might be poison ivy, wash your clothing through 2 cycles. Use a detergent that is tough on grease.
Remember the "leaves of three" mantra when it comes to poison ivy and oak. During the winter they may range from bright orange to brilliant red before the fall off the stems.
Poison Oak in the Fall
POISON OAK
Poison oak is not as common as poison ivy. However, it is hard to tell the difference between the two and most people use the term ivy and oak interchangeably.
Poison oak is similar to poison ivy in that they both release urushiol, the oil that causes itchy red skin. Poison oak can have up to seven leaves on the plant and they can be a combination of red, green, or both. Poison oak also has a different appearance with its ridged edges and may look slightly hairy.
You can identify Atlantic poison oak (the kind found on the East Coast) by leaves of three. The leaves are smooth around the edges, although they can have divots like poison ivy. The edges will never be evenly scalloped or spiny. Poison oak also grows close to the ground.
If you look closely at the leaves of Atlantic poison oak you will see they have short hairs on them, unlike poison ivy.
What to do if you touch it: Treatment for poison oak rash is the same as for poison ivy. Wait for the rash to go away on its own, and use lotion and corticosteroid cream to treat the itching.
Where itās found: Atlantic poison oak grows best in dry, sandy soil and has been found mostly in the southern parts of the state, including Cape May.
If you would like to learn more, Hereās a great article on poison oak showing lots of pictures.
Poison Sumac in the Fall
POISON SUMAC
When most of us think of sumac, we are thinking of staghorn sumac , the stuff that grows along the roadside with the spreading spearhead-shaped leaves and fuzzy, red, cone-shaped flower.
But, poison sumac often grows near staghorn, but itās easy to tell one from the other.
First, poison sumac grows almost exclusively in swamps or very moist soil.
Second, whereas staghorn has a fuzzy stem and pointed, toothy leaves, the nasty poisonous stuff has a non-fuzzy stem and smooth leaves that are typically more rounded.
Poison sumac looks a lot different than poison ivy or poison oak, as it grows as a small tree. Poison sumac thrives in wetland areas.
Poison Sumac contains our old friend urushiol, but in a more potent form than poison ivy or oak, so beware. Some botanists call poison sumac the most toxic plant going. Avoid at all times, including when the plant is dead; the bark, stems and roots will still get you!
Poison sumac is ONLY found in very wet areas, often in shallow water. It is pretty rare in most places.
But people are very concerned about poison sumac and search for it online constantly. To learn more about poison sumac, (Here) is an excellent and thorough article that shows lots of pictures.
Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac rashes
TREATING POISON IVY, OAK or SUMAC
A rash from poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac is caused by an oil found in these plants called urushiol. When this oil touches your skin, it often causes an itchy, blistering rash. Most people can safely treat the rash at home.
The rash may appear bumpy, streaky, linear, or patchy, and it will affect the areas that have come into contact with the oil resin. Areas that have been exposed to a larger amount of urushiol may develop the rash more quickly, and the rash may appear more severe. In some instances, new lesions may continue to appear for up to two to three weeks.
Is it contagious?
A person can spread the rash to other parts of the body if their contaminated hands (with the oil resin) touch other areas. The fluid that sometimes oozes from the blisters does not contain urushiol and therefore does not spread the rash, and other individuals who touch this fluid will not develop the rash. To spread the rash to someone else, they must directly come into contact with the oil resin. Generally speaking, the rash slowly improves and disappears after one to three weeks in most individuals.
Overall, the symptoms may range from mild to severe. Rarely, in extreme cases, an anaphylactic reaction can develop.
If these plants are burned, the airborne particles of urushiol can be inhaled, causing respiratory difficulty from irritation of the lungs. This reaction can be severe!
CAUTION - If you have any of the following, go to the emergency room immediately:
Difficulty breathing or swallowing
A rash around one or both eyes, your mouth, or on your genitals
Swelling on your face, especially if an eye swells shut
Itching that worsens or makes it impossible to sleep
Rashes on most of your body
A fever
These are signs of a severe reaction that require immediate medical care.
You can treat the rash at home if you:
Have a mild rash
Developed a rash on a small section of skin
Are certain that the rash is due to poison ivy, oak, or sumac
To treat a mild rash and help stop the itch, I recommend the following:
To treat the rash:
Immediately rinse your skin with lukewarm, soapy water. If you can rinse your skin immediately after touching poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, you may be able to rinse off some of the oil. If not washed off, the oil can spread from person to person and to other areas of your body.
Wash your clothing. Thoroughly wash all of the clothes you were wearing when you came into contact with the poisonous plant. The oil can stick to clothing, and if it touches your skin, it can cause another rash. Caution: To avoid getting oil from the plant on your skin, wear gloves while touching your clothes, even when taking off your clothes.
Wash everything that may have the oil on its surface. Besides clothing, the oil from poison ivy, oak, and sumac can stick to many surfaces, including gardening tools, golf clubs, leashes and even a petās fur. Be sure to rinse your petās fur, and wash tools and other objects with warm, soapy water. Caution: To avoid getting any oil from the plant on your skin, wear gloves while touching or washing anything that may have oil on it. This includes your pet. If you need to wash your pet, wear gloves.
Do not scratch, as scratching can cause an infection.
Leave blisters alone. If blisters open, do not remove the overlying skin, as the skin can protect the raw wound underneath and prevent infection.
What can relieve the itch?
Take short, lukewarm baths. To ease the itch, take short, lukewarm baths in a colloidal oatmeal preparation, which you can buy at your local drugstore. You can also draw a bath and add one cup of baking soda to the running water. Taking short, cool showers may also help.
Use calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream. Calamine lotion can reduce the itch. If you have a mild case, a hydrocortisone cream or lotion is another treatment that can alleviate the itch.
Apply cool compresses to the itchy skin. You can make a cool compress by wetting a clean washcloth with cold water and wringing it out so that it does not drip. Then, apply the cool cloth to the itchy skin. You should not apply an antihistamine to your skin, as doing so can worsen the rash and the itch.
If your rash is not improving after 7 to 10 days, or you think your rash may be infected, see a doctor.
Poison Hemlock versus Queen Anneās Lace
Poison Hemlock
Weāre not talking about the Hemlock Tree, but an ordinary weed that is spreading all over NJ and is one of the most dangerous plants on the planet.
Itās something innocuous with pretty white flowers on it resembling Queen Anneās lace. Google it if you need to. Because, if you pick some of it or walk through it and shake the dust around and inhale it, you can actually get pretty sick.
Symptoms can begin showing as early as 30 minutes after interacting with the plant. Even touching it can cause symptoms - from COVID-19 symptoms to full-blown lung and/or a heart failure.
The borough of Watchung, N.J., released a āhemlock poison plant advisoryā warning residents that the lethal weed is spreading into backyards and public parks.
If you think you have come in contact with it, these are some of the symptoms you should look out for:
Sleepiness
Lightheadedness
Dilated pupils
Trembling
Dizziness
The best way to prevent any poisoning from hemlock is to remove the plants. But I would leave this to the experts. Youāve got to remove the entire root, because if you just cut or mow mature hemlock plants, they can re-sprout or emit toxic fumes.
You can also use herbicides to kill hemlock plants, but they are useless after hemlocks have sprouted flowers. The best time to use herbicides is NOW in the late fall, or early spring, right as the plants begin to grow.
Experts also warn that if you must interact with poison hemlock plants, make sure you wear gloves, facemasks, and protective clothing. Wrap up any plants in plastic or place them in plastic bags, and then immediately throw them in the trash.
There is no antidote to hemlock poisoning. But if you come in contact with poisonous hemlock, Emergency Room doctors will be able to treat each specific symptom if you seek immediate medical attention.
To read more about poison hemlock (the plant that can kill you) thatās all over NJ, you can read a detailed article found, here!
The stem of the poison hemlock plant, with characteristic purple spots and blotches.
Lastly, there are several unexpected sources of poison ivy, oak and sumac, including our gardening tools, bikes, clothes, cats and dogs! Refer to the chart below for some good remindersā¦
THE BOTTOM LINE
"One man's Poison Ivy is another Fellow's Spinach." ~ George Ade
"I've often thought there ought to be a manual to hand to little kids, telling them what kind of planet they're on, why they don't fall off it, how much time they've probably got here, how to avoid poison ivy, and so on." ~ Kurt Vonnegut
You donāt need to abandon your work outside or that fabulous hike you had planned the moment you see these poisonous plants. But, by knowing what to look for and how to avoid contact, you can safely enjoy the great outdoors.
Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac are three of the most common irritant plants in North America; and they affect as many as 50 million Americans each year!
All three of these plants have the oily resin called urushiol that is found on their leaves, stems, and roots. Most people (about 85%) are allergic to urushiol, and when it comes in contact with the skin will develop an itchy, red, blistering rash. This rash can last for weeks and is very uncomfortable.
Hopefully the information shared today will help you avoid these pesky plants, know how to protect yourself should you need to interact with them, and take care of yourself if youāve inadvertently acquired a rash. Your best line of defense is knowing what to look for and how to protect yourself.
If you get yourself in trouble with one of these poisonous plants, (and itās not an emergency), contact me so that I can help you recuperate!
As always, to make an appointment with me use this link: HERE.
Or, you can always give me a call at (973) 210-3838
I want to hear from you! What questions or insights do you have about these poisonous plants? Did you find this newsletter helpful?
Share your thoughts in the comments on our
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