How to identify what is - and what isn't - poison ivy

We all know “leaves of three, let it be” when it comes to identifying and avoiding poison ivy. But when you’re in the garden or out on the trail, it can be surprisingly difficult to know which plants are and are not poison ivy.

Here are some of the characteristics of a poison ivy plant, though not all are always present:

▪ Three leaves in a cluster. The top leaf often is larger and has a longer stem than the two side leaves.

▪ Serrated edges or notches on the edges of the leaves.

▪ Reddish stems.

▪ Shrub or vine form. As a vine growing on a tree, the vine grows straight up the trunk.

▪ Berries. When poison ivy matures, especially in vine form, berries form on it, changing color from green to white.

Here are a few photos from the riparian trail outside the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center to help you hone your ID skills.

Swipe left on the images to get the answer:

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Poison ivy in the yard

It’s important to scout your property for signs of poison ivy and quickly eradicate any that you see. Birds otherwise eat the berries and continue to spread it, and leaving poison ivy alone makes it harder to take out later and increases the risk that some person or animal will come into contact with it and suffer an allergic reaction.

▪ If there are just a few plants, cover yourself up so no part of your skin is exposed and dig up the poison ivy plant so that you pull out all of the root. If the soil is dry, water first to make the job easier. Then carefully put the whole thing in the trash, knowing that anything that any part of the plant touches suddenly “has poison ivy” – so it’s best if it doesn’t touch anything. You can cover parts of yourself with plastic bags – including newspaper bags over your hands and arms – and then throw away the bags when you’re done.

If the poison ivy has brushed your clothes, be sure to wash them immediately in hot water. Wipe down tools with rubbing alcohol.

▪ For larger areas of poison ivy, treat with a brush-control product containing trichlopyr or glyphosate. Follow label directions carefully, because the pesticide will kill whatever it touches. Carefully dispose of even a dead plant, because the irritating oil remains on dead plants.

If you are dealing with a thick vine growing up a tree so that you can’t reach all the leaves, cut the vine from the stump and treat the fresh cut on the stump with the stump killer, extension agent Matthew McKernan says. The top leafy portion of the vine will die on its own, and the poison will go into the stump and into the roots to kill them.

It’s just as important NOT to do certain things with poison ivy, McKernan says:

▪ Do not burn poison ivy. Smoke inhaled from poison ivy can irritate lungs and internal organs.

▪ Don’t mow or use a weed-whacker on poison ivy. Oil and vegetation can be flung through the air.

Poison ivy on skin

If your skin has come into contact with poison ivy, wash immediately with soap and water. Also wash your clothes immediately in hot water and wipe down shoes with rubbing alcohol. Wear disposable gloves or put plastic bags on your hands when touching anything that’s been exposed, and dispose of the bags after use.

Even if you haven’t had a reaction to poison ivy in the past, that can change at any time.

This story was originally published June 26, 2016 at 9:55 AM with the headline "How to identify what is - and what isn't - poison ivy."