Starting My Poison Ivy Over Again

[CapeCodBonsai]

On the new leaves does the central leaflet have a little stem at the base?

That was my main argument for believing that I had some species other than Poison Ivy. Every leaf that has emerged (all in the past few weeks) DO NOT have the little stem (petiole).

The leaves are alternate, ruling out maple lookalikes.
I have seen pictures of juvenile foliage on poison ivy that lack the “little stem” so, I have not ruled out the possibility that I have poison ivy . . . it’s just a young plant. Especially because (as @KateM points out) those are some pretty shiny leaves.

I’m too chicken to do the “skin test” so, I need to wait until I start seeing more mature foliage before I can make the call on poison ivy. If I don’t eventually start seeing petioles on the center leaflet, I’m betting it’s one of two possibilities:

1. Boston Ivy
2. Fragrant Sumac (Thank You @KateM)

 

[KateM]

Well not that it clarifies a thing... on top poison ivy at the bottom fragrant sumac. The main noticeable difference is that sumac is fuzzy.
Both grow in the shade and have no red hue or shine.

I wore gloves and my NuTec is coming tomorrow.

 

[Jayhawk]

I actually did bonsai poison ivy once, by mistake. I thought it was a young maple of some sort with red fall color (it wasn't big at all...maybe 3-4 inches tall)...not being allergic to poison ivy at the time I had never gotten good at identifying it. My mom came over (this was 35 years ago!) and she was like - "why in the world do you have poison ivy on your porch in a pot? Are you nuts?" It was pretty, but it was 100% gone that day. The more times you are exposed to poison ivy the more likely even those who are "immune" will have a reaction. I'm a prime example of that...first problem with poison ivy at 47 years old. Bonsai at your own risk!

Eric

 

[CapeCodBonsai]

The more times you are exposed to poison ivy the more likely even those who are "immune" will have a reaction.

I may be ignorant, naïve, or a combination of the two but, here is my thinking . . . As long as I don’t come in contact with the urushiol oil, I shouldn’t need to worry about my reaction. Am I that far off base?

I’m seeing some mature growth now. The new leaves are simple in shape with entire leaf margins but, I’m still not getting that well defined petiole on the center leaflet.
Perhaps I have a new cultivar . . .
Toxicondendron radicans ‘b-nut’ ?

 

[Paradox]

I may be ignorant, naïve, or a combination of the two but, here is my thinking . . . As long as I don’t come in contact with the urushiol oil, I shouldn’t need to worry about my reaction. Am I that far off base?

I’m seeing some mature growth now. The new leaves are simple in shape with entire leaf margins but, I’m still not getting that well defined petiole on the center leaflet.
Perhaps I have a new cultivar . . .
Toxicondendron radicans ‘b-nut’ ?
View attachment 551641

Not sure how you're going to avoid it.
Wear a hazmat suit, gloves and wash off your tools and everything with stuff that can neutralize the oil every time you touch it?

Not worth the trouble and the itchy rash

 

[CapeCodBonsai]

Not sure how you're going to avoid it.

Same way I avoided it when it was first collected . . . latex gloves, rubbing alcohol, disposable towels, and common sense.
Realistically, how often am I going to be touching it? A few snips during the growing season and a repot every few years. I don’t see it being all that much trouble.

 

[Paradox]

Same way I avoided it when it was first collected . . . latex gloves, rubbing alcohol, disposable towels, and common sense.
Realistically, how often am I going to be touching it? A few snips during the growing season and a repot every few years. I don’t see it being all that much trouble.

Well you do you. Id rather not risk a week of rashes and itchy itchy.
It likes me too much and I spent too many weeks as a kid with it driving me insane.
Plenty of other likely natives to play with and not go through all that.

 

[Gabler]

I dissolve pine sap on my skin with a little bit of oil, usually vegetable oil, and then I remove the oil with Dawn or Palmolive liquid dish soap. I would expect the same would work for poison ivy sap. Toss your clothes in the wash, lather up your skin with oil and soap, and shower. Problem avoided.

 

[CapeCodBonsai]

Toss your clothes in the wash

If I have to go through the trouble of stripping off and washing clothes, it’s because I’ve done something wrong. I don’t anticipate any portion of the plant coming in direct contact with me or my clothing. But of course, as we all know, sh** happens.

 

[JohnRobertRodgers]

Poison Ivy is a decent candidate for bonsai. It has amazing fall colors and also produces fruit. It is perhaps considered "novelty" but that's merely because it's obviously difficult to work with - and on that a word of caution.

If you choose to work with it, you need to protect all exposed areas of your skin - not just your hands. You also should wear an effective mask/respirator.

When you cut into it the allergen (which I believe is an oil but would need to confirm) can easily reach your skin and also be inhaled into the lungs.

It is worth noting you can build a very strong resistance to poison Ivy with gradual exposure to the plant. Some people even go as far as ingesting the new leaves on an increasing basis - this is actually an ancient technique.

You can never be "immune" but you can be resistant. When I used to spend many days in the woods I built a resistance through constant exposure and never suffered despite brushing into and bushwhacking through deciduous forests in Illinois.

If you collect one I'd aim for a medium sized trunk of 1-2" diameter. The very large stumps I have found will die back to base but I may have just been unlucky.

Re gaining immunity: the response to urushiol can include any and all of the four types of hypersensitivity. It is an immune reaction to a covalent adduct formed between the urushiol and one’s own proteins, which can be in the skin or tissues. In principle no one is sensitive to it at birth. So developing an immune response to it takes repeated exposure. In principle, one can become non-immune to it. In principle, just as with “allergy shots” exposure to the right doses in the right way, might lessen or even completely inhibit the hypersensitivity (allergic) response. In practice, people seem to become more sensitive over times , just as with bee stings.

Another thing to consider is that even if one person is “resistant” , they can carry urushiol on their skin and clothes to others. My wife would come down with a severe reaction within a day if my handling it, but my reaction wouldn’t show up for several days and would be mild.

 

[Paradox]

Re gaining immunity: the response to urushiol can include any and all of the four types of hypersensitivity. It is an immune reaction to a covalent adduct formed between the urushiol and one’s own proteins, which can be in the skin or tissues. In principle no one is sensitive to it at birth. So developing an immune response to it takes repeated exposure. In principle, one can become non-immune to it. In principle, just as with “allergy shots” exposure to the right doses in the right way, might lessen or even completely inhibit the hypersensitivity (allergic) response. In practice, people seem to become more sensitive over times , just as with bee stings.

Another thing to consider is that even if one person is “resistant” , they can carry urushiol on their skin and clothes to others. My wife would come down with a severe reaction within a day if my handling it, but my reaction wouldn’t show up for several days and would be mild.

LOL we went to see my family and took the dogs with us. We stopped to give the dogs a potty and water break and I caught my husband, who is immune to poison ivy, or was then, walking one of the dogs along some bushes that was full of poison ivy. Yup, within 24 hours I had poison ivy....I was livid.....and was like "what were you thinking....dumbass"

 

[KateM]

I'll observe on the sidelines.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I dont get the vitriol towards other people experimenting with plants that oneself may hate.

 

[PerryB]

I'll observe on the sidelines.

Me too! I just got over a 10-day bout with it all over both hands. I am very sensitive to it, and have an OTC Ivy Scrub that I use after every known exposure. I am well aware of how to identify P.I., but while weeding 2 weeks ago it was lurking beneath the euonymous!! The Scrub was totally ineffective. I finally went to Urgent Care where they were going to prescribe a Medrol dose pack (steroids) but I have a small out-patient surgery scheduled next week, and steroids are contraindicated.
So, I got hydrocortisone ointment and wore surgical gloves 24/7 for 5 days.

As for building immunity, I remember Euell Gibbons (a foraging guru back in the 70s) always said that one should start eating the small leaves of P.I. as soon as they were evident in the spring and then, by the time leaves were full size one would be immune. I was never willing to try that.

 

[Paradox]

I dont get the vitriol towards other people experimenting with plants that oneself may hate.

Dont know where you think there is vitriol. Nothing could be further than the truth.
Thinking that someone is a little off their rocker for wanting to experiment with a plant that can give you or someone else a nasty rash for a week when there are so many other beautiful and harmless native plants to experiment with .......maybe