Poison Ivy Identification (or, We're off to Summer Camp)

Poison Ivy is endemic in the Mississippi Delta.  It's just here and in your face (or on your legs, hands....), most of the year.  As a community service, here are some photos from the many poison ivy plants emerging or leafing back out within a 2 minute walk of our house. 

Here is THE rule:  Leaves of 3 let it be, Leaves of 5 let it thrive

Here are some other rules: 

Leaves of 3 let it be, leaves of 4, give me more

Leaves of 3 let it be, leaves of 5, you can jive

OR, more to the point :  Leaves of 3, You'd better flee!!!!

Not everyone is allergic to poison ivy, some people have not been exposed to it, and others just never developed allergies to it.  I never really knew what poison ivy was (growing up in Australia where it does not exist), except for THE famous camp song by Spike Jones (Hello Mother, Hello Father) .....

Hello Mother, Hello Father lyrics

Spike Jones

Hello muddah, hello faddah, Here I am at Camp Granada. Camp is very entertaining, And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining!   I went hiking with Joe Spivey, He developed poison ivy. You remember Lennard Skinard, He got tomain poisoning last night after dinner!       All the counselors hate the waiters, And the lake has alligators! And the head coach wants no sissies, So he reads to us from something called 'Ulysses'.   No, I don't want this should scare ya, But my bunkmate has malaria! You remember Jeffrey Hardy, They're about to organize a searching party! Take me home, oh muddah, faddah. Take me home, I hate Granada. Don't leave me out in the forest, Where I might get eaten by a bear!     Take me home, I promise I will not make noise, Or mess the house with other boys, Oh please don't make me stay; I've been here one whole day!     Dearest faddah, darling muddah, How's my precious little bruddah? Let me come home if you miss me; I would even let Aunt Bertha hug and kiss me!     Wait a minute; it stopped hailing. Guys are swimming, guys are sailing. Playing baseball, gee that's bettah. Muddah, faddah, kindly disregard this letter! When we get into poison ivy by accident, suspect we may have been near poison ivy, or breakout in a rash, we take a shower with Tecnu Skin Cleanser 32 Ounce. This adheres to the poison when you lather it on your skin and poison and all goes down the drain with it when you wash it off.  It's also not a bad idea to squirt some in the washing machine with your contaminated clothing.  You can get it in small quantities from some of the drug stores, or walmart, but for some reason the bottles seem really small.  Way too small for Mississippi anyhow - I get the bulk size online. Often, poison ivy is transfered all over your body by scratching the first spot where you got some, getting the poison on your fingers and then scratching somewhere else.  Another way to get poison ivy is from patting your pets after they have been rolling in the stuff (usually doesn't affect them!).  Happy Camping! Aussie Kim

Comments

[LA Sue]

Let's see, was that "leaves of five, get the hives," or was it "leaves of two, kick off your shoe," or was it...

[Aussie Kim]

Leaves of three
Is your brain a pea?

[Ted Hering]

Hi, Kim,

Giving credit where credit is due, "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" was by Alan Sherman. (Spike Jones recorded many novelty songs, but not this one.)

[Dawn]

And here I thought the garlic flower was just practicing safe sex...

[Aussie Kim]

Dear Ted,
Many thanks for the correction! I guess I need to double check information sources on the net!

Dear Dawn,
Yes, that's immediatly what I thought as well......My kids asked me if I placed it ontop of the flower, it looks so out of place!

[Dirt Dude]

Dirt Dude's version

Leaves of three
Not good to wipe after a pee.

[Diamond Drill Bits]

I think you could have done a better try..The concept seems to be good..But the content of the topic has not up to the extent of readers..