100 Species #44: Poison Ivy

[urbpan]

One of the first of many Poison ivy(Toxicodendron radicans) plants to appear in the yard.

Today I rode a bike along 25 miles of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and my constant companion was poison ivy. Just past the road shoulder new spring growth of red and green leaflets on wiry vines rolled by me. On my leg a blister itched insistently enough that I scratched it open, causing a small drop of blood to weep out.

The neighborhood legend is that one of the previous owners of our house was not fond of children, and so to make his land less inviting--or perhaps to torment small trespassers--he deliberately planted poison ivy. We have found it in four main locations in the yard, and I first encountered it before it leafed out, and came into contact with the oil that causes the allergic reaction. I've been taking Claritin every day to control the reactions, and I continue my policy of avoiding the plant at all costs. Alexis appears not to be allergic, and pulled out a large bagful of the vines this morning.

Poison ivy is one of my favorite plants in fall, rivaled only by sumac and sugar maple.

Poison ivy was 365 urban species #281, and is a frequently recurring character in this journal.