Just a reminder Poison ivy cautions.

[Plumbata]

I don't really react to toxicodendron exposure, but won't try rolling around in the stuff either. Ripping out roots barehanded and whatnot has never been a problem, but I haven't tried pushing my luck by rubbing my eyes and whatnot afterward. At worst i have mild redness that is gone within 24 hours, and that's after heavy exposure. Anyway, a good "cure" while out in the woods is locating "Jewelweed" (Touch-Me-Not) stalks, crushing the watery stems and liberally rubbing the juices all over the areas exposed. Extracts of the plant are used in some commercially available preparations. It often grows in large patches next to creeks or in wet/waterlogged areas. Conveniently, such places are also where we often find ourselves digging dumps. Here is the "Impatiens capensis" variety, often called Spotted Jewelweed, with spotted orange flowers. This is the variety of "Jewelweed" most commonly referred to as a natural remedy for poison ivy, oak, and sumac:

(from http://www.amazilia.net/images/Plants/Flowering_Plants/Impatiens_capensis.htm) And here is the closely related and arguably interchangeable "Impatiens pallida" Pale Jewelweed, with yellow flowers:

(From: http://highvirginiaoutdoors.blogspot.com/2011_09_01_archive.html) I hear it can provide relief from bug bites and stinging nettles too. It can't hurt, whatever the case.

 

[Plumbata]

For clarification, I don't have much personal experience with the jewelweed because it isn't really necessary, but when hiking with my girlfriend, who gets it bad, "washing" the areas which have brushed against the ivy with crushed stalks ASAP after exposure is strongly correlated with the absence of any subsequent rashes. Whether or not she would have developed rashes without the treatment in these instances is up in the air, as we're not exactly scientific about it.

 

[iggyworf]

Hey Lisa, can that stuff be found in any drug store? Or is it internet product only? I will have to give that stuff a try. Cuz I know I will get the ivy in the future, no matter haw careful I am.

 

[LisaTammy]

Iggy I am really not sure. I have not had a need to use it because we don't have a whole lot of poison ivy here.Lisa

 

[iggyworf]

Thanx Lisa. Don't you live around Soo St Marie in da U.P.? And theres not much P I up there eh? Down in the lower Pen there is fields of it all over.

 

[deenodean]

A saying for poison ivy is ' if there are 3 ( leaves ) let it be ' ! In this area we have poison ivy , Hogweed and Wild parsnip...nasty stuff !!

 

[LisaTammy]

Yeah iggy I have never had a problem with it or even saw it around here. The only thing I've got into were stinging nettles.Lisa

 

[Plumbata]

Yeah, mindlessly getting wild parsnip all over you is the worst. About as close to looking like you've got "The Plague" as you can get without actually being deathly ill.

 

[cowseatmaize]

The time I got hospitalized was from digging in a cold NE February and got it from the roots, they're way worse than the leaves so stop worrying about it..[]