Continued...

Most of us are careful around Poison Ivy, but did you know that there are quite a few other plants that can also cause this same dermatitis !  Many, if not most, plants produce toxins of various strengths to prevent insects from eating their leaves and stems.  The Milkweed comes to mind;  only the Caterpillar of the Monarch Butterfly can eat its leaves more than once.  Sometimes these toxins are deadly to eat (at least for us humans!) ; and sometimes these toxins just cause dermatitis (or “Poison Ivy” ) if we come in contact with the leaves ! Haven’t you ever got “Poison Ivy” when you were sure that you had not touched any ?  In the following article, let’s go through just some of the plants we can find in the woods and the fields that can cause this same dermatitis !

     Asparagus or “Sparrow Grass” ( Asparagus officinalis ) is an Alien plant we often find in our fields and meadows.  This common perennial from Europe can be grown everywhere in the U.S. and has escaped over and over again to many nearby fields. You’ll find it in ‘Newcomb‘s Wildflower Guide’  on page 342 looking nothing like the shoots you buy in the grocery store.  Once established, it’s the most permanent of all the vegetables and returns year after year.  Its tall, bushy, feathery foliage can cause dermatitis ( some people can even get it from the shoots in the grocery store !) . Another tip, don’t eat its pretty red berries !

     Dutchman’s Breeches and its cousin Squirrel Corn ( Dicentra cucullaria and D. canadensis ) are two of our favorite Spring Wildflowers found in the woods.  But they both can cause this same dermatitis if you touch their graceful, fern-like foliage !  But just like with Poison Ivy, this affects some people but not others.  Moreover, toxic alkaloids are found in all parts of these plants and you shouldn’t nibble on them either !

     Buttercups and Crowfoots ( Ranunculus species ) are commonly found in Ohio in the Summer. There are about 20 species of them in Ohio.  The ones with shiny yellow petals are called Buttercups; the ones whose petals fall off immediately ( or don’t develop at all ) are called Crowfoots. The best way to tell all the Ranunculids apart is to look at the leaves. But contact with the leaves (again, for some ) is a common cause of this same dermatitis !

     Dwarf, Tall, and Rocket Larkspurs ( Delphinium species ) are all found in Ohio from Spring thru Fall. Dwarf Larkspur is the only one that is at all “Common” and it is found “Infrequently”.  And even then, it is found more often in southern Ohio.  These impressive blues flowers are some of the most beautiful Wildflowers we have and perhaps you’ve thought of gathering a few seeds to plant a few of them in your backyard woods. Well, both the leavers and the seeds can cause of this same dermatitis !

     English Ivy ( Hedera helix ) is another common Alien plant we often see (this time in the woods ).  In years past, this was an extremely popular ground cover and climber that people planted around their houses. This Ivy is evergreen and very hardy and can survive our brutal northern Ohio winters. Usually when you find it in our woods, it is a sign that there was once a house on this spot.  Altho the leaves and berries were once used ’medicinally’, they still may irritate some sensitive skins and cause this same dermatitis !

     Four o’Clocks ( Mirabilis species ) are another groups of plants we see in open places and fields and along roadsides.  There are four kinds in Ohio and the one we see at Headlands Dunes is Wild Four o’Clock ( Mirabilis nyctaginea ); it‘s a species that has migrated here from the west.  Its pink, 1” wide,  trumpet-like flowers open in the late afternoon ( 4 o’clock; get it! ) or on very cloudy days.  Here too, we may be tempted to gather a few seeds of this attractive Wildflower to plant in our gardens. But the seeds and the roots are not only very poisonous to eat but also can cause of this same dermatitis ! The leaves are okay to touch.

     Irises or Blue Flags ( Iris species ) are familiar to all of us. With their large, sword-like leaves and large, unique blue flowers (well, one of them is yellow!), they are easily recognized by everyone, even those who don’t ’know the Wildflowers’ ! There are eight species of Irises in Ohio;  three of these are Aliens ( including the Yellow Iris! ).  All Irises have a slightly toxic irritant in their leaves and especially in their rootstocks.  These rootstocks (technically, rhizomes ) were in the past used medicinally but consuming large amounts of them can  make you very sick.  And to some, the leaves themselves can cause this same dermatitis !

     These days, we don’t often see our native, terrestrial Orchids. The ones we see most often are the Lady’s Slippers ( Cypripedium species ).  In the past, many people dug them up and took them home and tried to grow them. This nearly  always failed and still does since our native Orchids essentially don’t have any ‘roots’; the bulb you see is a place for the Orchid to store food ( like a ‘potato‘ ).  Orchids HAVE TO tap in to the mycorrhizal fungi present in the soil where they grow. Since these fungi aren’t usually present in your yard (or even in other places in the woods!), Orchids can only grow in certain, selected ( by the Orchids, not by you! ) spots. But the Orchid exact their revenge on the thieves who steal them away; they cause this very same dermatitis in nearly everyone who touches their leaves or stems !

      The juice of many members of the Parsley Family OFTEN CAUSES this same dermatitis. So when you touch the leaves you may be not be touching ‘dew’ or water but the toxic plant juice. A notable member of this family that almost everyone gets “Poison Ivy” from is Poison Hemlock ( Conium maculatum ).  This large plant with its coarsely divided fern-like leaves is becoming  increasingly common in every ditch and creekside in Ohio.  Another member we often find in our fields is the  Wild Carrot or Queen Anne’s Lace ( Daucus carota ).  The latter is a favorite of many of us. But how often have you been tempted to touch it, only to discover you have “Poison Ivy“ a few days later?

     In fact, any member of this Parsley Family should be touched with caution so you don‘t touch the juice!  This includes Sanicules ( Sanicula species ),  Chervils ( Chaerophyllum species ),  Sweet Cicelies ( Osmorhiza species ),  the various ‘Hemlocks’ and ‘Parsleys‘ (various species), as well as Golden Alexanders ( Zizia aurea ).  You can find most of these in your  ‘Newcomb‘s Wildflower Guide’ on pages 218 to 226.

    Other Wildflowers in other Families can also cause this same dermatitis, not by touching the leaves, but by coming in contact with the plant’s juices.  These include:  Bloodroot ( Sanguinaria canadensis ),  Jack in the Pulpit ( Arisaema triphyllum ),  Cardinal Flower and Indian Tobacco ( Lobelia species ), and Mayapples ( Podophyllum peltatum ).  In addition some trees, like Walnuts and Pawpaws, can cause this same dermatitis in some people! 

    So ’Be Careful Out There’ in the woods! And if you do come in contact and touch some of these ‘Poisonous Plants‘, rub you hands with a little dry dirt, dust on a little Talcum Powder, or even rinse them from a bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol.  But the best remedy for all this “Poison Ivy” --- do what your Mom always told you to do --- WASH YOUR HANDS !!