AND THEN......THERE'S POISON IVY

QUESTION: What resinous plant derived oil can bond to your skin in one hour!!!!!

ANSWER: Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac

I never wanted to believe the reports a number of years ago that Poison Ivy (Toxidendron radicans) would be growing larger leaves and getting to be a stronger grower because of rising temperatures. But it makes sense if you consider the continuous robust growth of plants in US ZONES 8-10. I live in ZONE 7B where higher summer temperatures in longer stretches have been recorded for some years now. I  rarely  use  Glyphosate (Round-up) but was applying a treatment around the gardens this spring on tender emerging weed leaves (most effective on leaves 6weeks old or less) and I missed this now fine specimen climbing a Pine tree along a path. (see above... I'm not touching the leaf!)  I, along with much of the population, am extremely allergic to the oil , URUSHIOL, contained in all parts of the Poison Ivy plant....dead or alive.  

Much about this resinous oil and it's insidious effects also present in Poison Oak and Poison Sumac has been reported extensively on the Internet so I will leave you with a few tricks that I use to keep it from bonding to my skin and causing it's typical maddeningly itchy rash of blisters. It can do so in one hour..... after contact through direct touch of any or all of the plant parts; touching the fur or clothes of animals or people who have brushed against the plant or by breathing in smoke from burning the plant. 

Because it is an oil it can be washed off your skin and clothes with any dish detergent. I have always used Ivory Liquid to cut the grease and oil of my dishes. Dawn liquid is another. (I know window washers put a drop of Dawn in a gallon of water to squeegee clean windows) 

I keep hand soap pumps at all my sinks and showers filled with Ivory Liquid so that I can quickly wash off when I come inside from gardening in the rough woods or petting a furry friend that may have been walking in the woods.  My gardening clothes for that day are put through the washer twice with dish detergent. I even shower and wash my hair with dish detergent. Work boots can be wiped off with a paper towel impregnated with dish detergent. I'm careful then to always wash my hands after handling the boots....putting them on and taking them off. 

There are enough things to worry about in the garden without having to put up with a Poison Ivy rash.  By the way, that huge vine I missed will have to be severed near the ground with a clipper. It's too late for Round-up to have any effect on the hardened leaves.  The clipper will also get washed with dish detergent.