Monday, June 15, 2009

Yes, Poison Ivy Has Flowers


Yes, Poison Ivy Has Flowers
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

The photo is not wonderful but I did not want to disturb the plant. There are two varieties of Poison Ivy in our area. This one sticks close to the ground. The other climbs to tree tops.

3 comments:

Sam said...

OW, from what I've read, we have only poison ivy here in the southern US - It can be 'bush' form until it gets bigger and finds something to climb on. That's what I've read - but I've had ol'timers swear there's two kinds here so I really don't know. Never really cared until this past - hmmm, Feb. or March - and I got it on the inside of my forearm and wrist. Horrible stuff! ... after spending a lifetime without having to worry about it! I assume I'm now allergic to cow itch (Trumpet Creeper), too. :(

Ontario Wanderer said...

Sam, From some quick internet research, it appears that you are correct in that the climbing variety does not grow in the south. That being said, I thought I remembered some in the Mammoth Cave area in Kentucky. I know that there was poison ivy all around the campsite we used and I thought some of it went up into the trees. Maybe it is a false memory.

Sam said...

OW, actually what I was saying is that we have *only* the climbing kind of poison ivy - if it isn't climbing it's because it hasn't gotten big enough or hasn't reached something to climb on. We have big ol' hairy 2" round vines that completely wrap around and up trees, lol.

The ol' timers swear we have poison oak, a bush type plant, but what I've read online says that is a western US plant and is not in the south. :)