Beware of Poison Ivy — Cure: Jewelweed

According to Wikipedia, Taxicodencron radicans — commonly known as poison ivy — is a poisonous North American plant that is well known for its production of urushiol, a clean liquid compound found in the sap of the plant.  Urushiol causes an itching, irration and sometimes painful rash in most people who touch it.  It is not a true ivy (Hedera).

Poison Ivy grows in more than one form — a trailing vine — a  1′ – 2′ shrub and a climbing vine that grows up trees.

This poisonous plant grows prolifically in my favorite scope of woods.  The only form I know in those woods is the kind that runs up a tree.  The leaves are quite pretty.  There’s an old saying “leaves of three, let it be.”  That will not hold true in all cases, as my favorite wildflower, Trillium, has three leaves and it isn’t poisonous.

Jewelweed is supposed to be quick cure for poison ivy — if applied shortly after coming in contact with the ivy. It’s said to grow in the same area as poison ivy; however, that’s not true here on The Windy Knoll. Jewe weed grows in a damp area and on this farm we have no natural damp area.

According to an article in the Georgia Market Bulletin — the jewelweed — wild touch-me-not or snapweed — Impatiens capensis, was given this name because its leaves are unwettable as rain will stand on the leaves in round drops shining like jewels — without ever wetting the leaf surface.  The name of touch-me-not or snapweed because of the snapping sound made by the seed pods when touched it they are ripe.  It bears pretty flowers which are butter-yellow and these are followed by slipper-shaped seed pods.

Early settlers learned from Indians to use this weed; not only in curing poison ivy rash, but athlete’s foot and other kinds of dematis that we now know are fungal in origin.

Take care as you walk in the woods — poison ivy is not of the best parts of country living.