Skip to main content
menu
URMC / Encyclopedia / Content

How Much Do You Know About Poison Ivy?

It's fun to take a hike through the woods: listening for songbirds, looking at wildflowers, spying the occasional chipmunk. You also need to keep an eye out for the bane of hikers—poison ivy. Find out how much you know about this plant by taking this true-false quiz.

1. The leaves of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac burn skin on contact.
2. If your dog runs through a patch of poison ivy, you may develop a rash from petting the animal.
3. Poison ivy grows mostly in watery areas such as swamps and peat bogs.
4. One way to identify the poison ivy plant is by its 3 leaflets.
5. The poison ivy rash first appears on the face and then spreads elsewhere on the body.
6. Poison ivy is a threat only in spring and summer. Once autumn has arrived and poison ivy leaves have died for the season, you don't need to worry about exposure.
7. If you've been exposed to poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, washing the exposed skin as soon as possible can help prevent a reaction.
8. Oatmeal mixed with lukewarm water can help relieve itching from poison ivy.

Medical Reviewers:

  • Fraser, Marianne, MSN, RN
  • Lehrer, Michael Stephen, MD
  • Watson, L Renee, MSN, RN