Poison ivy is harder to identify than we think
While some of us may have heard the saying, “Leaves of three, let them be,” a plant and animal expert at Virginia Tech said it's not always that simple.
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While some of us may have heard the saying, “Leaves of three, let them be,” a plant and animal expert at Virginia Tech said it's not always that simple.
Researchers have discovered wide variability amongst poison ivy plants. "There was no clear poison ivy look. It was quite astonishing..."
We’ve all heard the classic saying “leaves of three, let it be,” which means don’t touch the poison ivy. But just how accurate is that timeless phrase?
Most of us have heard the old saying, likely from adults trying to protect us when we were young and inexperienced: "Leaves of three, let it be." But is that truly an accurate way to identify poison ivy? Apparently not, according to a new study from Virginia Tech.
Poison ivy can take many different shapes and sizes. It can appear in small patches, take the form of creeping vines or a bush, and can even mimic the appearance of a tree it has wrapped itself around.