Poison Ivy Identification

The best way to avoid the plant is to know what it looks like.

Poison ivy identification is the first defense towards not getting the rash. If you can avoid the plant you will reduce your chances of not getting it.

The classic 3 leaves

Do you have a cure for poison ivy?

If you have a remedy to stop the itch or clear up the rash please let us know. Share your poison ivy remedy (please). Your remedy will be added to this page for the all poison ivy sufferers to read.

Read how others cure poison ivy:
An ounce of prevention
Old fashion remedy
Zinc Oxide

What causes the rash?

Coming in to contact with the oil in the plant is the only thing that will cause the rash. It won't spread by itching it, and you can't get it from someone else.

You can only get it by coming in contact with the oil in the leaves or vines.

If the leaves are burnt the oil can be carried through the smoke. Some severe cases of poison ivy rash have occurred this way.

You may not get it if you simply brush against a plant that has not been disturbed (broken leaf). But rubbing against a plant that has been disturbed and is secreting the oil will cause the itching rash. Rarely are the leaves not disturbed in some way.

There are different forms of the plant

The plants can be individual, large clumps, or a vine growing up a tree. The leaves can be very small or very large and vary in size from plant to plant. Look at the pictures and remember what it looks like. It will save you a lot of aggravation.

I get the poison ivy rash terribly. I used to get it often when I was younger and tromping through the woods. When I learned what it looked like my instances of the rash were reduced tremendously.

(Click on any of the images below for a larger picture)

Sometimes in bushy patches

Sometimes with berries

Sometimes growing alone

Sometimes growing up a tree

Do you have a remedy for poison ivy? Please share it.

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What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Poison Ivy Help
The old cure for poison ivy of days ago was to take a bar of lye soap (the homemade kind) make it like a paste and let it dry on the spot where the rash ...

I'd Never Thought of Using It There Not rated yet
Our family just moved from Belmont county to Lawrence county in November 2007 and have been busy ever since clearing forest and undergrowth.

I ended ...

An Ounce of Prevention Not rated yet
As a frequent hiker and nature photographer, I run into poison ivy quite a bit.

I have not found a cure, but have found that ounce of prevention.

A ...

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