Poison Ivy

Well, I was vindicated today. For years I have maintained that there is a 5-leaf version of poison ivy and no-one believed me.

Today I pulled up a poison ivy vine by the roots, and found both the standard 3-leaflet sets *and* the 5-leaflet sets on it! And yes, they were from one plant - there was only one small root.

Silly me, though, I didn't think to take a photo of it until just now

- when it's already met it's fate. Oh well, I'll just have to wait - I'm sure I'll find the (#&%&^% stuff again.

Just in case you're curious, the 5-leaflet set looks like the

3-leaflet set, except there are 2 more small leaves on the outside forming a neat circle of leaves. The notches are the same and everything. This version looks verrry like another vine that is called wandering jenny, as I recall. Makes me wonder if they are related.
Reply to
fran
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Ever hear of Virginia Creeper??

Reply to
pixi

There's also Box Elder, a maple, that looks like poison ivy if you get its

3-leaf version, but usually has 5.
Reply to
Ron Hardin

In article , fran1234 @volcanomail.com says... :) Well, I was vindicated today. For years I have maintained that there :) is a 5-leaf version of poison ivy and no-one believed me. :) :) Today I pulled up a poison ivy vine by the roots, and found both the :) standard 3-leaflet sets *and* the 5-leaflet sets on it! And yes, they :) were from one plant - there was only one small root. :) :) Silly me, though, I didn't think to take a photo of it until just now :) - when it's already met it's fate. Oh well, I'll just have to wait - :) I'm sure I'll find the (#&%&^% stuff again. :) :) Just in case you're curious, the 5-leaflet set looks like the :) 3-leaflet set, except there are 2 more small leaves on the outside :) forming a neat circle of leaves. The notches are the same and :) everything. This version looks verrry like another vine that is :) called wandering jenny, as I recall. Makes me wonder if they are :) related. :)

I've come across poison ivy with a 5 leaflet pattern a couple of times over the years, it's more of a modified leaf of the bottom part of the leaflet that gives it the 5 leaf look, as mentioned in another post box elder saplings look exactly like poison ivy and will have 5 leaf mixed with the 3 leaf pattern, but it will grow more upright and won't have the clinging "hairs" as will the ivy.

Reply to
Lar

virginia creeper

Reply to
chaz

Believe me, it's not Virginia Creeper or Box Elder. This thing had the standard 3-leaf vine (~2ft long) branching off the 5-leaf vine (~6 inches long). The 5-leaf also had the center leaf with symetrical (sp?) notches and all 4 side leaves with the irregular notches (few on the side closest to the middle, many on the side furthest from the middle). And it was definately 5 seperate leaves.

Virg> Ever hear of Virginia Creeper??

Reply to
fran1234

Believe me, it's not Virginia Creeper or Box Elder. This thing had the standard 3-leaf vine (~2ft long) branching off the 5-leaf vine (~6 inches long). The 5-leaf also had the center leaf with symetrical (sp?) notches and all 4 side leaves with the irregular notches (few on the side closest to the middle, many on the side furthest from the middle). And it was definately 5 seperate leaves.

Virg> Ever hear of Virginia Creeper??

Reply to
fran1234

OH NO! If it crosses with Virginia Creeper, we'll never get it killed!

Reply to
Bob

Like this plant?

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Reply to
Steve

Virginia Creeper (I guess) but that first picture appears to fit your description of the notches being fewer on the inside. I could go look closer at the Virginia Creeper in my yard but I recently pulled most of it out (again). I've lived in the Adirondacks for nearly

30 years and I have never seen poison ivy here, though I am told it can be found if you look in just the right places.

Steve

Reply to
Steve

In article , snipped-for-privacy@volcanomail.com says... :) Believe me, it's not Virginia Creeper or Box Elder. This thing had the :) standard 3-leaf vine (~2ft long) branching off the 5-leaf vine (~6 :) inches long). The 5-leaf also had the center leaf with symetrical :) (sp?) notches and all 4 side leaves with the irregular notches (few on :) the side closest to the middle, many on the side furthest from the :) middle). And it was definately 5 seperate leaves. :) :) Virginia Creeper has all 5 leaves with identical symetrical notches. :) :) pixi wrote: :) > Ever hear of Virginia Creeper?? :) >

:) > > Today I pulled up a poison ivy vine by the roots, and found both the :) > > standard 3-leaflet sets *and* the 5-leaflet sets on it! And yes, they :) > > were from one plant - there was only one small root. :) > >

:) > > Silly me, though, I didn't think to take a photo of it until just now :) > > - when it's already met it's fate. Oh well, I'll just have to wait - :) > > I'm sure I'll find the (#&%&^% stuff again. :) > >

:) > > Just in case you're curious, the 5-leaflet set looks like the :) > > 3-leaflet set, except there are 2 more small leaves on the outside :) > > forming a neat circle of leaves. The notches are the same and :) > > everything. This version looks verrry like another vine that is :) > > called wandering jenny, as I recall. Makes me wonder if they are :) > > related. :) :) Here ya go Fran....found these this morning.

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Reply to
Lar

snipped-for-privacy@volcanomail.com Believe me, it's not Virginia Creeper or Bo

Elder. This thing had the standard 3-leaf vine (~2ft long) branching off the 5-leaf vine (~6 inches long). The 5-leaf also had the center leaf with symetrical (sp?) notches and all 4 side leaves with the irregular notches (few on the side closest to the middle, many on the side furthest from the middle). And it was definately 5 seperate leaves.

Virginia Creeper has all 5 leaves with identical symetrical notches.

pixi wrote: Ever hear of Virginia Creeper??

Today I pulled up a poison ivy vine by the roots, and found both the standard 3-leaflet sets *and* the 5-leaflet sets on it! And yes they were from one plant - there was only one small root.

Silly me, though, I didn't think to take a photo of it until jus now

- when it's already met it's fate. Oh well, I'll just have to wai

- I'm sure I'll find the (#&%&^% stuff again.

Just in case you're curious, the 5-leaflet set looks like the

3-leaflet set, except there are 2 more small leaves on the outside forming a neat circle of leaves. The notches are the same and everything. This version looks verrry like another vine that is called wandering jenny, as I recall. Makes me wonder if they are related.

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a peek at these links and maybe it might clear things u concerning whether there are more than three leaves on poison ivy cyaaa, sockiescat

-- sockiescat

Reply to
sockiescat

Young VC leaves are often only three leaved.

Reply to
pixi

Reply to
fran1234

Call me skeptical, I'd want to see it myself to be sure :)

Virginia creeper has tendrils, Poison Ivy (PI) has aerial rootlets. Think "hairy rope" when looking for a PI vine. Look up tendrils and then aerial rootlets to see the difference between them.

Box Elder (more properly called Ash leave Maple) has opposite leaves. Usually only three leaflets on young trees only 1-2 feet tall. Mature trees have 3-7 leaflets. PI always has **alternate leaves**.

Here is some crappy ASCII art.

Opposite:

| ---|--- | ---|--- | |

Alternate:

| |--- | ---| | |--- |

There are only six other common species with three leaflets and alternate leaves.

Poison Oak- questionable if it even differs from PI and should be classified differently.

Fragrant Sumac - Could be confused with PI.

Cissus - much different.

Hoptree - not all that uncommon, but I've only seen it in one particular area by me. Could be confused with PI.

Scotch Broom - much different.

Bicolor Lespedeza - much different.

Most of the common plants that look similar to PI have opposite leaves and can be eliminated quickly with this knowledge from a distance. The shape of the leaves, toothed, smooth, irregular, is meaningless and not a good method for identification of PI.

Reply to
Leon Fisk

Leon, You are going to seriously confuse those people who don't know the difference between leaves and leaflets. You always hear that poison ivy has 3 leaves, right? How often is is described as having 3 leaflets? Not very often, by comparison.

Steve PS I could tell a story about a woman who worked for the cooperative extension in my county. She just couldn't understand the concept of pruning tomato plants when grown on a stake. We finally realized that the problem was she didn't understand that tomato leaves have leaflets.

Reply to
Steve

Well if they get a bit confused they'll just have to look up a few things now won't they :) I little bit of knowledge never hurt anyone, did it?

The link you posted earlier was good. The third picture has an obvious tendril though, not PI. I noticed too that the overall appearance to the stem just didn't look right to me either for it to be PI. It is always much easier when you have the real specimen too.

If a person can just remember alternate leaves and aerial rootlets it will save you a whole lot of grief.

PI has been expanding around me. It is almost everywhere I go now, or would like to go. Ugh!

Reply to
Leon Fisk

A few years back I wanted to start removing the poison ivy from a wooded portion of my yard, so I began to research it. I found a lot of great info on the Net. One of the things I discovered was that although poison ivy normally has 3 leaves (or leaflets) it can also have 5 or more. The following FDA link states the same.

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week I was pulling (yes, pulling...I'm careful and only mildly allergic to urushiol) some poison ivy from another wooded area and found a vine with both 3 and 5 leaflet clusters on the same vine. It was a first for me.

Two interesting Internet factoids about poison ivy :

  • As the urushiol penetrates your skin, your body sees it as an invader (allergy) even though it is harmless. Your immune system kicks in and begins a complex series of events which result in the inflammation. So, technically the rash is the effect of your immune system overreacting.
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    * It seems the British (during American colonization) became so enamored with the plant that it was brought to England to plant along hedge rows...where of course it spread...and then was subsequently introduced into Australia and New Zealand where the plants act as a garden backdrop...still can't figure out why someone would do that :)
Reply to
Agave

I was thinking about this discussion the other day when I was out in the yard. Just thinking about the way nature tends to work, it would be more of a surprise if poison ivy always had 3 leaflets and never 5. Think about how white clover had 3 leaflets, almost always, but then there is that occasional 4 leaf clover in the mix.

Steve

Reply to
Steve

Whoa, freaky...I was out yesterday planting some ferns and was reflecting on this and thinking about 3 and 4 leaf clovers too...wow, an m-field event

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well maybe not, but a coincidence none the less.

Reply to
Agave

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