Ack! This is what Poison Ivy looks like in Autumn...
Whoa, what do we have here?
Oh look! It has pretty red leaves!
Gee honey, theres more by you!
Gosh, it comes in all sorts of colors!
Oh look, A field of it!
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Uh, Dexter, I wouldnt lay there if I were you....
Okay, so we havent gotten a rash yet from this go-round; but this what a patch of poison ivy looks like in the fall - three droopy leaves on one stem, and one plant can have many stems coming from the base of the plant like a bouquet. Dont let its prettiness fool you, and contrary to myth that the oil dries up as the leaves dry out - those leaves are still very potent ! We have found that if we take off our boots immediately after work, wash our hands, then remove our pants with cuffs turned up, then wash our hands, THEN take a shower using ZANFEL as a cleanser, we can avoid the itchy oozy rash that comes from coming in contact with the plant's oil, called urushiol. We also will use IVY-X cleansing towelettes to wipe our boots at the end of the day, along with using it on Dexter's legs - where ever there has been contact with the leaves . These products have been very consistent in preventing poison ivy for us, and we would definitely know! ZANFEL can also be used immediately when you have unknowingly come in contact with the oil and start to itch - i have prevented many full blown rashes by using this immediately on a spot that is itching. In fact once I had a spot that itched, but was disappointed that this stuff didn't take the itch away ~ it couldn't because it was a bug bite!!! Now thats good stuff when you are wishing for poison ivy lol!
It would be nice not to have to worry about contact with this "leaves of three, let them be" poison ivy,
but unfortunately its just one of the hazards of the Timber cruising life :)
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Poison Ivy sucks! LOL! I develop a skin allergy to all sorts of weeds, PI, PO, PS, wild parsnips. Wild parsnips are the worst and have landed me in the doc's office with weeping, oozing, infected rash more times than I can count. You are right though, it's just part of it! Thanks for the tip about the Zanfel, I wonder if it would work on the wild parsnips?
ReplyDeleteI got looking at this post again today and just wanted to thank you. I have always wondered what the stuff looked like. Never having suffered from the effects of something a prairie girls never even sees I had no idea either what to do if I visit the mountains or find it somewhere else. I appreciate the expert info.
ReplyDeletegoodwife ~ Those are good questions to be asking about wild parsnip - I wonder if the zanfel would work? Might check into the website to see...I do know that the sap of the wild parsnip reacts to sunlight to cause the blisters...
ReplyDeleteAnd CCC- In the spring too when it comes up, its leaves are usually red - as it unfolds it goes into a green color, then changes in the fall.