Oh my!

Stush2019 said: I guess I'll tell my story; When I was 11 my family bought our first house. There was poison ivy in the over grown hedges and all I had was scissors and tried to cut the overgrown bushes on a hot summer day. Next day with sunburn and all I was red all over and bumps. Next day I looked like a monster. Face swollen eyes closed shunt. Every inch of my body affected and hot with no air condition. Wish I could have died. Took three weeks to get over it. Useless lotions and soap that did nothing. Used bleach with bath water which worked some but extremely painful.

Ouch!

I once knew a website with everything there was to know about poison ivy and oak, including 'worst rash' pictures.. can't find it at the moment.

sallyg said: I once knew a website with everything there was to know about poison ivy and oak, including 'worst rash' pictures.. can't find it at the moment.

Nope.

That is NOT a link I'd be clicking on!

The info I'd love, but not the pictures.

Hiked about 200 miles of the Appalachian Trail after high school with my golden retriever.

Met several people who learned quickly that contact with poison ivy should be avoided at all costs when going to the bathroom.

https://www.poison-ivy.org/bas...

Thank you, Sally. I'm sure most people have heard of poison ivy and aware that it can cause a rash. There is a lot of info out there about it.

What I think most people don't know is that other plants can cause an identical or even worse rash. It is that info that I'm hoping to share so if anyone else has "mystery poison ivy" after NOT touching any PI plants, they know that other plant(s) could be the culprit. They should expand their investigation to determine what it was so they can avoid having that problem again.

I haven't gotten rid of my houseplants that can give me an awful rash, but now I'm aware that I need to take precautions if I'm going to trim some of them, or if I accidentally damage one of those plants and the sap starts leaking out unexpectedly.

Speaking of other plants. My worst case (worst then poison ivy) is those paddle cactus. Get one of them over you and you have a rash that last months. Those tiny red spines get under your skin and takes a long time to beel out. Reason I removed 100's out of my yard. Still have some popping up here and there. I think they all should come with a warning.

I had never heard of 'florists' hands'...
"The risk of acquiring plant-related dermatitis is influenced by host susceptibility and exposure. Impairment in the barrier function of the skin may increase the propensity for sensitization. Chronically immersed hands (eg, florists' hands) may be particularly predisposed to plant-related dermatitis."
https://emedicine.medscape.com...

Only this week I learned that trumpetvine ( aka cow itch) can cause a reaction, though, thankfully, seems short lived.

That is a very good article, be sure to click through all of the pages. There are a lot of science words I didn't know, but I don't need to know the name of my reaction, just to be aware that I'll get one and to not touch those plants. It discusses quite a few plants but I'm not sure it discusses all of the plants to which I am sensitive.

Unfortunately, at the end, it says that to ID plants, specimens should be collected. I disagree with this for 2 reasons. First, plants that are somewhere else than on one's own property should never be disturbed. They can be photographed thoroughly, but never collected. A series of photos of various features from various angles should lead to an ID without touching an unknown plant.

Second, if you suspect a plant has irritated you, the very last thing you should do is try to collect part or all of it. Stop touching it and bathe thoroughly, ASAP.

Yes, you make good points there. Shows that real plant person probably was not consulted.

Well, a single person can't be responsible for thinking of everything. The author did a great job, and the article may have been written at a time when most people were not walking around with a camera in the pocket at all times. People did used to collect and press specimens.

Thank you for the link!

Will read through. Like the plant photos.

Actually a very pretty plant.

Bump. 'tis the start if rash risk season, at least @ my house.

Head n' Shoulders works for me if I ever get the rash again.