Via Sarena-Rae SantosWrite Contribution
Growing up in the late 90s early 2000s, I played outside A LOT! I love exploring the forest, playing in the land and nature. I love finding mushrooms and bringing them to school to show my science teachers and try to identify what’s growing in my backyard.
Unfortunately, no one ever taught me what kind of plants to be careful with.
So, of course, every summer I get the worst case scenario for poison ivy, oak, or sumac. I usually get this at the end of the summer, and when September approaches and the school reopens, the school nurse always sends me home until the rash clears up. One year, it was terrible when the rash spread to my eyes, mouth, and genitals – horrible to say the least.
Today, I want to share some tips on what plants to be careful around to help children get rid of the suffering that I always have to endure.
#1 Hemlock
I don’t think I’ve ever encountered hemlock, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t know about it. Poison hemlock is found on roadsides, farm edges, creek beds and irrigation ditches, and waste areas. Poison hemlock is poisonous and can poison domestic animals and humans when consumed, even in small amounts (first).
Unlike the other plants in this article, hemlock is generally safe to touch. People with sensitive skin may experience dermatitis. In rare cases, botulism can occur after the poison enters your bloodstream through a cut, eye, or nose. Marijuana poisoning usually arises within minutes to hours of ingestion and symptoms can range from vomiting to convulsions to respiratory failure and even death.2).
Furthermore, hemlock can be mistaken for wild carrot, parsley or parsley. Hemlock can be identified by its bright green leaves that resemble ferns and have teeth at the edges. When crushed, the leaves have a musty, strong smell. Hemlock stems are hairless and hollow with red or purple spots and streaks. Usually attached to the top of the stem are clusters of small white umbrella-shaped flowers (3).
#2 Poison ivy
Who heard the sentence? “Three leaves, leave it there” grow up? Maybe my parents missed the memo because I didn’t hear this phrase until later in life, but I definitely wish I’d heard it sooner!
Poison ivy is found throughout the United States except in Alaska, Hawaii, and parts of the West Coast. Poison ivy can grow as vines or small shrubs that run along the ground or climb on low trees, trees and poles (4).
Exposure to poison ivy can lead to a rash caused by an allergic reaction to the urushiol resin. Reactions to poison ivy usually manifest within 12-48 hours of exposure. The poison ivy rash usually appears in a straight line with accompanying symptoms such as redness, itching, swelling, and blistering. If you breathe in smoke from a burning poison ivy plant, you may have trouble breathing (5). Not everyone is allergic to poison ivy, so not everyone reacts to it.
Contrary to popular belief, poison ivy is not contagious and not contagious. A rash will only occur when the oil of the plant comes into contact with the skin, so a person with poison ivy cannot spread it on their body by scratching.
Furthermore, poison ivy can be confused with fragrant gardenia (skunkbush), Virginia creeper, and boxelder (6). Poison ivy can be identified by its compound leaves with three leaflets with smooth edges or coarse teeth. All leaflets have their own stalk and their surface can be glossy or dull. The middle leaflet is attached to a much longer stalk, while the two on the much shorter side (7).
#3 Poison Oak
Poison oak is a lot like poison ivy, and the same rules apply – three leaves, let it be! Poison oak grows as a low shrub in the eastern and southern United States and as tall shrubs or long vines on the Pacific Coast (4).
Like poison ivy, exposure to poison oak can lead to a rash due to an allergic reaction to urushiol resin. Again, not everyone is allergic to poison oak, so not everyone reacts to exposure. The reaction to poison oak is the same as that of poison ivy and usually manifests within 12-48 hours of exposure. Common symptoms of poison ivy rash include redness, itching, swelling, and blistering, often in a straight line. If you breathe in smoke from a burning poison ivy plant, you may have trouble breathing (5,8).
Like poison ivy, poison oak is non-contagious and non-infectious. The rash will only occur when the oil of the plant comes into contact with the skin, so the person with the rash cannot spread it by scratching.
Furthermore, poison oak, like poison ivy, can be confused with fragrant sumac (skunkbush), Virginia creeper, and fern.9). Poison oak can be identified by its dull green compound leaves with three leaflets that are more lobed or toothed than poison ivy. Poison oak leaves have their own stalks, but unlike poison ivy, they are hairy on both sides and the tips of the leaves are rounded. Like poison ivy, the central leaflet is attached to a much longer stalk (but shorter than poison ivy), while the two lateral leaves are much shorter. In addition, poison oak can produce grayish-white fruit that is not safe to consume (ten).
#4 Poison gardenia
Poison sumac is found mainly in the eastern part of the United States. It tends to grow in wet areas such as swamps. Contact with poison sumac can lead to a rash due to an allergic reaction to urushiol resin. Not everyone is allergic to poison ivy, so not everyone reacts to contact (11).
Reactions to poison ivy are similar to those of poison ivy and oak and usually manifest within 12-48 hours of exposure. Common symptoms of poison sumac rash include redness, itching, swelling, and blistering, often in a straight line. If you breathe in smoke from a burning poison ivy plant, you may have trouble breathing (5,8,11).
Furthermore, poison sumac may be confused with fine sumac (Rhus glabra), staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), and dwarf sumac (Rhus copallinum).twelfth). Poison sumac can be identified by its leaves that grow in groups of 7 to 13 oval leaflets. The leaves of poison ivy have smooth edges and are connected to the red stem. The bark is smooth and gray in color. The sumptuous tree grows as a shrub or small tree with yellow-green flowers that bloom into glossy, drooping pale yellow or cream berries (13).
The best remedy is prevention, so I recommend pouring some vinegar over these plants if they grow in your backyard. If you come across any plants that cause local reactions, I recommend you check out our blog, 6 must-have natural remedies for summer, for some effective natural remedies (it even mentions an anti-itch soap).
Which trees are you cautious about?
