There are some plants that cause painful skin rashes after the exposure to the particular plant. The miserable rash, caused by the poison plants is very common to horseback riders, campers, bikers and others who enjoy the outdoors.
All of these plants are loosely referred to as “poison ivy.” However, there are actually three distinct species: poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak. Significantly, these plants consist of oil that causes an allergic reaction in skin.
The itchy and painful rash caused by the contact with these plants and it occurs very often in the warmer months. Unfortunately it is not restricted to the warmer months only.
How to Recognize the Poison Plants
If you are very prone to spend your time outdoors then you need to know how these plants look like and how can you avoid them. below are descriptions of the common poison plants.
Poison Ivy: Poison ivy is generally seen in the stony, sandy, or rocky shores of streams, rivers, and lakes. The leaves of this plant are normally arranged in three groups, but they may appear in fives or sevens. In every cluster, the middle leaf usually grows on a stalk which is longer than those are on the sides.
Poison Oak: As its name suggests, it looks like an oak tree. The leaves are a bit larger than those of poison ivy. They grow in the groups of three, five, and sometimes seven. The plant’s fruits and flowers are actually similar to those of poison ivy.
Like poison ivy, poison oak may also grow as a shrub or a vine up to 3 feet high. The leaves have smooth, short, smooth on the undersides, and its berries are white and fuzzy.
Poison Sumac: It is not that much widespread like poison ivy and poison oak. This plant grows as tall as a tree or shrub with clusters of 7 to 13 leaves arranged in pairs with one leaf at the end.
The flowers are yellowish and small and grow in clusters. After some time it actually matures into whitish-green berries. The berries hang in loose clusters which are up to 12 inches long.
