Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy is a common, native plant. 
These plants typically grow a vines. They have a trunk similar to English Ivy. Its trunk is covered in small bristles. These britsles are areal roots. Its they contact a surface, like a house of if growing on a tree, these roots will anchor the vine into place. They have branches that will extend outward. These branches don't get that long. They have compond leaves of three leaflets. They appear in April. Flowering will occur later in May. Little clusters of flowers at the end of the branches will appear. In the summer and fall, these fowers grow into little white berries. Every part of this plant, (the bark, the roots, the leaves, flowers, and fruit) all have a toxin call urishiol. This toxin will create a rash. Intensity can vary in people. Over 80-90% of offending peoples get rashes, while the rest don't. I am a lucky one of those people. I won't get a rash upon coming in contact with these plants. Recovery time can be a few days (mild cases) to several weeks (harsh or severe cases). Because of this, Poison Ivy makes a great hedge! 
To hedge with Poison Ivy, simply set up fence posts or thick enough branches. Plant some poison ivy seeds or transplant several from a park or woods. Plant these right next to the post or branch you wantto grow them on. Im sure some nursuries sell them. Let the vine grow naturally. When the vine outgrows its post, it will vigorously branch out. You'll get a huge bushy growth of Poison Ivy, that is sure to keep people out. 
Poison Ivy leaves turn a beautiful purple, orange or red in the fall. Around this time, birds favor the berries. Many types of wildlife like to eat these berries, but the seed wil survive. The wildlife poops the seeds out, which will ultimatle fertalize the seed. Many would say this is a vector for PI spread.
Category:Nature
Category:Trees and Shrubs