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Delaware Water Gap National Recreation AreaPoison ivy (Rhus radicans) in the fall
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Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Poison Ivy: Leaves of Three...
poison ivy in the fall

Leaves of three, let them be!
Poison ivy (Rhus radicans) grows plentifully along roadsides, trails and the edges of fields and parking lots, as a vine or a low shrub. The leaves are red in early spring (above), shiny green in summer, and an attractive red or orange in the fall. Each leaf consists of three leaflets.

Most people are sensitive in varying degrees to the sap of this plant, which makes skin itch, blister, and swell.

 
Prevention
• Avoid contact with all parts of the plant
• If exposed, wash the affected skin with soap and water as soon as possible. It takes several minutes for the sap to penetrate the skin.
• Remember: Leaves of three, let them be!

• Do not burn garden clippings or campfire "deadwood" that is entangled with poison ivy leaves or vines. Soot from the fire can carry the sap through the air, and cause serious distress in the eyes, nose, and throat.

 

Fact Sheet
Poison Ivy & Rhus Dermatitis (including sketches of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac) from the National Park Service Public Health Program.
A wooden AT sign attached to a tree along the trail  

Did You Know?
... that on its way through Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the Appalachian Trail goes right through the village of Delaware Water Gap PA, which has a bus station. For 10,000,000 city dwellers, pristine ridgetop ponds and scenic mountaintop views are only a bus-and-backpack trip away.
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Last Updated: June 04, 2009 at 13:12 EST