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Need Advice Poison ivy?

Discussion in 'Nature/Habitat/Garden Corner' started by Nwfdrool, Jul 1, 2010.

  1. Nwfdrool

    Nwfdrool New Member

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    Can someone tell me if this is a poison ivy plant? My daughter has gotten a couple of bad cases of poison ivy in the past two months and I really have never actually seen what the plant looks like other than internet photos. They all seem to look like green plants to me :(
     

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  2. SarasMom

    SarasMom Member

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  3. NittanyMin

    NittanyMin New Member

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    I think I've seen some poison ivy along the walking path around Southern Walk, but I'm not entirely certain. I'm avoiding touching it all the same...
     
  4. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    No, that's just a weed.
     
  5. Nwfdrool

    Nwfdrool New Member

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    It looks like a cluster of three--big leaf in the middle and two small leaves just below. And, there are a few leaves that are a bit reddish. The reddish leaves look a little shiny, but the green ones aren't. I just wasn't sure. I will pull it out nonetheless, but I am having a heck of a time finding the culprit(s) that is giving my little girl bad reactions. We even had an arborist out several weeks ago and he did not see any plants in our backyard to show me. I pointed out to him a small plant growing from one of the tree stumps that I thought was poison ivy, but he said it wasn't. Sigh....
     
  6. SarasMom

    SarasMom Member

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    Perhaps it's your sunscreen? A friend's daughter would break out after being in the sun only after applying a certain sunscreen. It was an itchy, red, slightly bumpy rash.
     
  7. Sasquatch519

    Sasquatch519 Member

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    That's definitely NOT poison ivy. I grew up on a lot of land and consider myself an expert in identifying it. The middle leaf is too big in comparison to the other 2 leaves and the big leaf should have one major notch on each side which it does not.

    If your kid does accidentally touch poison ivy, just wash the oil off within a few hours and you should be fine. Swimming in a heavily chlorinated pool helps, or you can just take a shower and wash every square inch with soap. A cooler shower is preferable to a warmer shower because the colder water keeps the skin pores closed.
     
  8. Nwfdrool

    Nwfdrool New Member

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    The last time was definitely poison ivy and she had to go on steroids for a couple of weeks. Do not want to go through that again :( This time, she has a rash around her mouth which the NP at the pedi said looked like contact dermatitis of some sort. The only thing I can think of that I recently put on her face is the hypoallergenic sunscreen samples that the allergist gave us last week. She tested negative for most environmental allergens. Anyway, while at the pedi I spotted small, raised bumps on her legs which the NP said looks like poison ivy (which I agree because it looked like the bumps from the first bout). I've been washing her off with Tecnu the past couple of nights and it seems to be helping. Just want to identify the little buggers in our yard so I know what to look for, show her what to stay away from, and then rip them out. There are so many little seedlings that have popped up this year. We've already ordered her not to make any more mud pies, grass soup, or weed stew. What's a kid to do all summer??
     
  9. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    and the leaves all come together... not from further down the stem.
     
  10. Brassy

    Brassy Hiyah

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    I get poison Ivy once a summer from my two small dogs. They pick it up somewhere around the pathway and grassy areas walking to the nature center and back around to Ridgeway. Mine always goes systemic. But most of the dots line up, which is the sign. you might get one spot and then it will have more right next to it. The first time I was on steroids for 6 weeks and got a great cream from my dermatologist that made the spots go away.

    Here is a great Link: http://www.poison-ivy.org/
     
  11. exbubba

    exbubba New Member

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    Everywhere around here that a tree line meets the grass has poison ivy growing at the base leaves of three with serrated edge. Dogs and cats love the areas and can get it on their coats. Steroids work within a week usually and their is soap to wash off oils if you know to do so, but creams sound good - though they must be steroidal - not so great for little ones
     

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