There’s a frustrating story that many people have lived all over the United States. It starts with a beautiful summer day, with a solid plan to go outside, enjoy some fresh air, and get some work done in the yard. And, indeed, work is done, and a sense of accomplishment is had. However, in the next couple of days, you notice that your skin is getting red and itchy, and eventually it gets swollen and painful, even blistery. Just like that, a nice day outside turned into weeks of irritating, painful recovery.
You likely recognize this as the story of Toxicodendron, or poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac. This species of plants secrete an oil called urushiol, which is extremely irritating to most people’s skin. To avoid letting this story play out in your life, wear protective clothing while working in the yard, learn what these plants look like to avoid them, and be very careful if you need to remove them.
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