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Emerald Magic Poison Ivy
What you don't know can really hurt you!

Suffolk (631) 286-4600
Nassau (516) 799-1860
"Leaves of Three, Beware of Me"

Emerald Magic Horticulturist
Craig den Hartog says:

“What you don’t know can really hurt you!

Den Hartog advises extreme caution whenever in the vicinity of poison ivy.

If this is a project you plan on tackling yourself, Be Prepared. Know what you working with and use every precaution to minimize exposure. “Long sleeves, long pants, long gloves, and long handled tools are necessary if you absolutely, positively have to work with poison ivy!"

Even with these precautions Craig den Hartog states that "You're not out of the Woods yet". Indirect contact is a concern because usheroil can adhere and stay active on clothing and tools for over a year. Horticulturalist Craig den Hartog recommends Tecnu brand poison ivy wash found locally at most pharmacies.

This product used within a few hours of exposure can wash away a majority of the toxic oils reducing your risk and discomfort.

If you have poison ivy or are not sure, identification and eradication is best left to a professional. Contact Emerald Magic for a Free Poison Ivy Inspection.

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Poison Oak

In the East, it grows as a shrub. Hair grows on its fruit, trunk and leaves, which have three leaflets.

Poison Ivy

In the East, it grows as a vine. Each leaf has three leaflets.

Poison Sumac

Grows in standing water in peat bogs in the Northeast and Midwest and in swampy areas in parts of the Southeast. Each leaf has seven to 13 leaflets.

10 to 50 million Americans per year develop an allergic rash
after contact with the above poisonous plants.

There are three ways to contact this allergic rash:

Direct Contact

touching the leaves, branches, roots or sap.

Indirect Contact

touching something which had been in contact with the poisonous plant. ex. Fur on animals, garden tools, or sporting equipment.

Airborne Particles

example, if a poisonous plant was on fire

Once in contact , it penetrates within minutes and will usually appear as a rash
within 12-48 hours. Swelling and redness along with blisters and
sever itching will occur and can take 10 days or longer to heal.

You Think You Got It Bad!

For more pictures of some really bad cases of Poison Ivy provided by poison-ivy.org Click Here!

Prevent yourself from this misery contact Got Poison Ivy? for a FREE Property Inspection and estimate. A trained horticulturist consultant will inspect, flag and map out your poison ivy problem areas and provide you with a FREE estimate.

For more information on Poison Ivy - Toxicodendron radicans- provided by Cornell Cooperative Extension - Click Here

Myths vs. Facts

Myth	Fact
Poison Ivy rash is contagious.	Rubbing the rashes won't spread poison ivy to other parts of your body (or to another person). You spread the rash only if urushiol oil -- the sticky, resinlike substance that causes the rash -- has been left on your hands.
You can catch poison ivy simply by being near the plants	Direct contact is needed to release urusiol oil. Stay away from forest fires, direct burning, or anything else that can cause the oil to become airborne such as a lawnmower, trimmer, etc.
Leaves of three, let them be	Poison sumac has 7 to 13 leaves on a branch, although poison ivy and oak have 3 leaves per cluster.
Do not worry about dead plants	Urushiol oil stays active on any surface, including dead plants, for up to 5 years.
Breaking the blisters releases urushiol oil that can spread	Not true. But your wounds can become infected and you may make the scarring worse. In very extreme cases, excessive fluid may need to be withdrawn by a doctor.
I've been in poison ivy many times and never broken out. I'm immune.	Not necessarily true. Upwards of 90% of people are allergic to urushiol oil, it's a matter of time and exposure. The more times you are exposed to urushiol, the more likely it is that you will break out with an allergic rash. For the first time sufferer, it generally takes longer for the rash to show up - generally in 7 to 10 days.

Have a question or concern? email us at: info@emeraldmagic.com