As summer rages on, and people are spending much of their free time outside in their own yards, there’s a good chance that you may find yourself face to face with a prolific and irritating plant – toxicodendron. That’s the scientific name for plants like poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. It’s for good reason that these plants start with the word “poison”. The oil they excrete can cause a very itchy, irritating, and even painful skin rash and blisters that can last for weeks.
Once you know what these plants look like, they can be relatively easy to spot and avoid. While there’s a picture attached to this post, a brief internet image search might be a good idea to become more familiar with them.
If you have these plants in your yard, and you’ve decided you want to get rid of them, be sure to wear long sleeves and gloves before handling them – even if they’re dead – and wash them (and yourself) immediately afterward.
