Poison Ivy (5017)

Just as tenacious and irrational myths surround bats and snakes, many folk beliefs surround poison ivy and its effect on sensitive individuals. These misunderstandings are often deeply held and difficult to change because they're passed along family lines where the "teacher" is considered a credible source of information. When a youngster begins by saying, "My daddy says..." you know you're on difficult and tricky ground. By the time the youngster reaches adulthood, many of these misbeliefs are bolstered by further misinterpretations of experiences the individual has had with this common plant.

Spring is an excellent time to "touch" on this subject of poison ivy for two reasons. First, a fundamental strategy for protecting yourself and youngsters from the effects of poison ivy is to simply avoid it, and that means you have to become familiar with it in all its forms. The plant flowers in May, and many young shoots are just beginning to leaf out for the summer. Talking about poison ivy also provides an opportunity to compare ideas supported by facts with beliefs not supported by facts but accepted simply because they came from a "credible" source.

For more information, please see this Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management web page

Penn State Horticulture Department

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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