Beware The Itch: Poison Ivy

When walking through forests always remember: three leaves leave it be. Another way you can avoid poison ivy is knowing that in the middle of a poison ivy plant is red and sometimes the whole plant is shiny. It is not the plant that makes you itch: it's the oil that it has on it. So if you climb some where that used to have poison ivy you are likely to get the rash because some of the oil was left. Myself, I have never gotten it but I study the plant. Something that makes having poison ivy worse is being allergic to the plant. This makes the rash that it causes spread easier. This plant thrives in forests in North America and Asia. Although known as a ivy, poison ivy is not an actual ivy. less ↑