Photos

Some white flowers appeared in a corner of our back yard and made a very pleasant display. But we mustn't get too close because behind, growing on the fence, is a poisionous plant very common in this area: Poison Ivy. Poison Ivy is a woody vine and produces an oil called urushiol which can cause a very irritating rash for many people if it comes in contact with the skin.
I have heard that if one burns poison ivy on a campfire, it is possible for the chemical to travel through the air and get into one's respiratory passages, though I have never known anyone that this happended to.
The vine grows along the ground and, as you can see here, is very capable of climbing. It can be quite pretty in the fall when the leaves turn yellow and red.
The easiest way to identify poison ivy is by the leaves: they are compound with three leaflets. Poison Ivy is often confused with a similar looking five-leaflet vine called "Virginia Creeper". I plan to post a photo of it as well. Before I was able to tell the difference my motto was "when in doubt, don't touch".