One of the first plants to turn red each fall is poison ivy - who knew it could be so pretty? I itch just looking at the stuff. The oil from the plant (called urushiol) can stay active for five years even after the plant is dead. It's such a deceptive plant - you'll find it growing in a vine, or it could be a bush or just growing along the ground. The leaves are sometimes shiny, other times dull -- sometimes the edges are notched, other times smooth. But one thing that's always consistent, they're always in threes. Here's a poison ivy quiz. You didn't know there'd be a quiz today, did you?! :)
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Leaves of three...
One of the first plants to turn red each fall is poison ivy - who knew it could be so pretty? I itch just looking at the stuff. The oil from the plant (called urushiol) can stay active for five years even after the plant is dead. It's such a deceptive plant - you'll find it growing in a vine, or it could be a bush or just growing along the ground. The leaves are sometimes shiny, other times dull -- sometimes the edges are notched, other times smooth. But one thing that's always consistent, they're always in threes. Here's a poison ivy quiz. You didn't know there'd be a quiz today, did you?! :)
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Cool quiz. But I failed miserably. Guess I don't know how to pick my poison. :)
ReplyDeleteI saw these also while out walking and, like you, thought who knew?
ReplyDeleteDeceptive is a good word for it, I have had poison ivy rash every summer for years now, usually ending up getting shots. I have learned not to actually touch it, but once got it from petting the cat and last summer from the laundry (I had hiked through some and forgot until 3 days later when doing the wash).
Even tho, it does color up real nice for autumn, thanks for the picture!
Cool Quiz Mark.
ReplyDeleteI made the mistake of looking at the skin rash photos though. GROSS!!!!