Hazardous Plants

Poison Ivy

NPS Photo

Kings Mountain National Military Park is home to many different species of plants that can potentially be hazardous to humans or animals. There are three main ways that people or animals can be exposed to them.

• Direct contact with the plant.
• Indirect contact with an item that has come into direct contact with the plant.
• Inhalation of smoke particles from burning the plant.

The best way to avoid exposure to a hazardous plant in the park is by staying on the trails at all times. You should avoid touching, picking, or ingesting plants while on the trails. Additional steps that you can take to avoid exposure to hazardous plants, whether in the park or elsewhere, are below.

• Wear long sleeves, long pants, boots, and gloves.
  • Wash exposed clothing separately in hot water with detergent.
• Barrier skin creams, such as lotion containing bentoquatum, may offer some protection.
• After use, clean tools with rubbing alcohol or soap and lots of water. Urushiol, an oily mixture of organic compounds with allergenic properties found in poison ivy, can remain active on the surface of objects for up to 5 years.
  • Wear disposable gloves during this process.
• Do not burn plants or brush piles that may contain poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac.
  • Inhaling smoke from burning plants can cause severe allergic respiratory problems.

 

Poison Ivy

NPS Photo

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
Where to find it: Can grow virtually anywhere and thrives in soil that has been disturbed.
Toxicity: Touching the plant can cause an irritating skin rash. In rarer cases, it can lead to more serious medical issues. It’s mildly toxic to pets. Pollination Season: Late Spring to Early Summer
Rarity: Common
Fun Fact: The rash is not contagious even if the blisters are oozing or it seems to spread. It takes time for the rash to appear and the urushiol, an oily mixture of organic compounds with allergenic properties found in poison ivy, which causes the rash can linger on clothes or other items causing additional exposure.

 

Eastern Poison Oak

NPS Photo

Eastern Poison Oak (Toxicodendron pubescens)
Where to find it: Drier areas of forests or thickets.
Toxicity: If a person comes in direct contact with the plant, painful skin irritation can result. Toxicity and symptoms of exposure are similar to those of poison ivy.
Pollination Season: Spring
Rarity: Uncommon
Fun Fact: Some Native Americans are reported to have cooked with poison oak leaves, made baskets out of stems, and used the juice to dye basket materials black.

 

Virginia Creeper

NPS Photo

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Where to find it: It thrives in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, forest edges, and disturbed areas. It's a hardy plant that can grow in zones 3-10, often found in open woods, sunny clearings, and along roadsides and floodplains
Toxicity: While the leaves do not produce urushiol, the sap within the leaves and stem contains raphides which can puncture the skin causing irritation and blisters in sensitive people. Its berries may be fatal if consumed by humans.
Pollination Season: Late Spring
Rarity: Uncommon
Fun Fact: Virginia Creeper is somewhat similar to Poison Ivy in appearance; the children's rhyme "leaflets three, let it be; leaflets five, let it thrive" helps to distinguish the two.