The weeds won this round, but I'll be back!! (Warning: Slightly icky)

[Backseat Driver]

8. When I was in elementary school, Tom was swinging from

grapevines over the downslope to a ravine. He lost his grip, landed in poison ivy, and was so covered with blisters he needed to be hospitalized for 2 weeks - As much as I've encountered it, first playing in the woods and then hiking along the paths of parks - I don't believe I've ever been afflicted by poison ivy. Leaves of three, let it be!!! Learn to recognize it's ground-covering leaves, it's vining nature on trees; its very pretty summer to winter berry-like seeds of white to red that tend to hide beneath the leaves, and its golden to scarlet leaves in the fall.


Grows pretty much anywhere, all across the country - not just Florida - it's seeds and roots can travel. Birds eat the berries and deposit them on the fly or at their roost, but they are toxic and injurious to humans internally. Stay out of the woods on a windy day and don't burn leaves or vines because the smoke will contain the irritant oil droplets that can get in your eyes and on your clothing/shoes. Protect all skin surfaces if you plan to try to remove the plants.

https://bygl.osu.edu/node/461

https://www.blogthebeach.com/2010/nature/plants-and-trees/learn-to-recognize-poison-ivy-and-avoid-the-itch

https://www.poison-ivy.org/poison-ivy-winter