As springtime rages on and trees, plants, flowers, and all manner of flora are blooming to the full, there is one type of plant that you probably don’t want to be anywhere near you or your family. The scientific name for it is Toxicodendron, and the “toxic” part of the name is right. You may recognize this species of plant by its more common names – poison ivy, poison sumac, or poison oak.
You’re probably already familiar that these plans emit an oil that can be extremely irritating to your body, ranging from a moderate itch to painful swelling and blistering. If you have these plants around your yard, you’ll probably want to remove them. Like most people, you may start by spraying them with a weed killer, and this may indeed kill the plant, but it will not remove the oil, which causes all the problems. Wear gloves and long sleeves when handling these plants, and wash them immediately when you go back inside.
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