What poisonous plants look like and where they are found
Symptoms
Itching
Red streaks or lines where the plant
brushed against the skin
Small bumps
Large, oozing blisters
Cause
An irritating, oily sap called urushiol
triggers an allergic reaction once it comes into contact with
the skin.
A person can be exposed to urushiol
directly or by touching objects that have come into contact
with the sap of one of the plants.
Prevention
Learn to identify plants to avoid contact.
Carefully remove plants from around
your home.
Cover skin with clothing (long-sleeves,
long pants, socks and shoes) when walking in wooded areas.
Be aware of resins carried by pets.
OTC products
Treatment
Immediately wash areas of skin that may have touched the
plant.
Apply wet compresses or soak the area in cool water.
OTC products (Hydrocortisone 0.5% or 1%)
For a moderate or severe rash, visit your health professional.
Prescription treatment may be necessary.
Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy has slightly glossy green leaves that grow in
groups of three. The leaf shape may vary, and the plant may
grow as a vine, or a trailing or low shrub.
It grows like a climbing vine in the east, midwest and southern
states, and as a non-climbing shrub in the northern and western
states.
Poison Oak
Poison Oak has leaves that are shaped somewhat like oak leaves.
The underside of the leaves are much lighter green than the
surface and covered with hair.
It grows as a small shrub in teh sandy soil of teh southeast,
and in the western U.S. as a very large standing shrub or
vine.
Poison Sumac
Poison Sumac is a small tree about 5 to 6 feet high. Each
stem contains 7 - 13 leaves arranged in pairs. The leaves
are elongated and without teeth.
It grows as a shrub or small tree in the northern U.S. peat
bogs and swampy southern regions of the country.
