Poison Ivy as ground cover??

[CathyA]

I don't know if it was the drought last summer, and plants went dormant early and stored up all their energy, or the tons of rain we've had this spring, but absolutely everything on our 35 acres is going crazy. And the poison ivy is EVERYWHERE. I have a small area in the back yard of sweet woodruff and some other stuff, and its totally covered with poison ivy. We don't use chemicals. We have more invasive bushes/plants than you can imagine. I'm starting to give up on the fight and try to approach it in a more enlightened way.............What will be, will be.
Hopefully DH and I are somewhat immune to poison ivy. The dog runs through it all the time, then comes into the house, and we haven't gotten it yet. Actually I had it a couple years ago, so maybe we get a short-term immunity. Poor DS got it bad though.
Anyhow..........our poison ivy seems to be our ground cover this year.

[catherine]

Last year, about a couple of weeks into my permaculture class, I realized that I really didn't even know the trees in my backyard! So I went on a little "field trip" and collected different leaf specimens, put them out on my kitchen table, and looked them all up on the internet.

A couple of days later I woke up unable to open my eyes. I looked in the mirror and from what I could see through the slits that were my eyes I looked like I had been in a boxing match.. and lost. I was swollen and red all over.

Seems one of my leaf specimens was poison ivy. I was SO embarrassed to go back to my permaculture class the next week! What an idiot.

[nswef]

OH-I ran into one long strand yesterday while weeding...I cannot imagine 35 acres of it!

I rip out all I see- then go in and scrub.

Poisoning it doesn't make it not itch creating- it just makes you unable to see it. I like to see what I'm touching.

It's a shame it is a problem because it is a very lovely plant.
If you have lots of trees, though, you might want to be sure to get it off them as it develops HUGE ropy vines that are nearly impossible to eradicate...then if you use the wood- more trouble.

My husband used to be the puller, but he gets it now, too. So we are both very careful.

[nswef]

Catherine, It is a sneaky plant in that the leaves don't look like the pictures in the book at all times of the year. You'll get much better at recognizing it.

[CathyA]

Oh Catherine..........try not to feel too stupid. I've seen it grow up on a woody stem that looks like a little tree.
As the saying goes "leaves of three, let it be".....but there are lots of other things with 3 leaves! DH is going to put on latex gloves and pull it all.

nswef.......It IS a lovely plant.......the birds love the berries, and the Fall leaves are so beautiful.
Our entire 35 acres is covered with about 8 invasives. And the birds and wildlife love them all. So I'm trying to focus on how good they seem to be for all the other species! I googled something like "a zen approach to invasives" and found some woman's blog who is also trying to be more zen about it. As she says "globalization is here to stay", and we have to live with all these "invasives"........so we might as well find some good in them. Yes, we try to keep small areas clear of the invasives........like right around the house and garden.........but its a constant battle. We take daily rides in my golf cart around the 35 acres and I have to really work at not freaking out and crying over all the invasives. It takes a real effort.

[razz]

I can't begin to imagine that much poison ivy. Sounds horrific to me.

[iris lilies]

When DH worked for Davey Tree co he would occasionally come home with some poison ivy damage on his skin.

He worked with a guy who ground up a tree covered with poison ivy, ground it up in the tree chipper. The guy got particulates in his lungs and had to be hospitalized.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I've often misidentified plants and touched or consumed something that I was sure afterward was poison oak!! (I think that's the west coast version of poison ivy) Oh no, what have I done?!? And never anything, so either I was wrong in my second guess, or I'm immune to it. Not everyone is sensitive to it apparently (some genetic basis perhaps?), not that I am going to go out of my way to test that hypothesis! I realize this makes me sound incredibly stupid, but actually I generally do recognize poison oak, it just takes many disguises, and I interact a lot with plants (fear no plant - except yes it's best not to touch or eat poison oak). Acres of it in my backyard might do me in though.

[iris lily]

Yea well, I've often misidentified plants and touched or consumed something that I was sure afterward was poison oak!! (I think that's the west coast version of poison ivy) Oh no, what have I done?!? And never anything, so either I was wrong in my second guess, or I'm immune to it. Not everyone is sensitive to it apparently (some genetic basis perhaps?), not that I am going to go out of my way to test that hypothesis! I realize this makes me sound incredibly stupid, but actually I generally do recognize poison oak, it just takes many disguises, and I interact a lot with plants (fear no plant - except yes it's best not to touch or eat poison oak).

I've never had poison ivy or poison oak infection, but I don't mess around much with non-domestic plants. Still, even those with high sensitivity will be compromised if they run into enough of it.

[CathyA]

And you should never burn it 'cause the smoke can really damage your lungs......or at least swell them up and you can't breath......which isn't a good thing!

A couple years ago I read about a vaccination for it, but apparently it wasn't that great.
Do you think the dog running through and over it could bring in the oils? Seems like if it did, it would have gotten us by now. (knock on wood!)

[lmerullo]

I got poison oak so bad, the clinic doctor told me it was MERSA. That was two years ago. This last week we went to our property and I had a native look at the area where I was going to work on the borders. About five minutes later I went back to him and showed him my arms. He said "OH that tree is called poison sumac by some people , you must be allergic" . No really? Nearly hospitalized last time I was exposed so I try to be careful. Sigh. Guess I need to get a book.

Based on my history I would not be able to have as much rampant poisonous coverage as you.

[Gardenarian]

Do you think the dog running through and over it could bring in the oils? Seems like if it did, it would have gotten us by now. (knock on wood!)

Yes, my dd's dog ran through poison oak and she ended up with a rash on the inside of her upper arm and armpit, right where the puppy snuggles at night! (She didn't have it anywhere else.)

[RosieTR]

Yes, some people can pick it up from pets that go through it, and some people are immune. I have walked through it a number of times with no problems, and it does like disturbed areas. Not sure about drought, because here it likes the riparian areas or shady places. Was one of the first things to come back after wildfires last summer, unfortunately. Good luck. Latex or nitrile gloves (or dishwashing rubber gloves up to the elbow!) are a good idea just in case. Allergies can develop due to repeated exposure, though some remain immune even after repeated exposures.

[Tussiemussies]

They say it is the oil in the plant that people are allergic to. I read that Fels Naptha soap is very effected in treating poision ivy since it strips all oils. Never have had to try it though I am concerned about it with our new property though.... :)