– Spring is here and that means more people are spending time outdoors enjoying nature and the nice weather.
We’ve been working for you for some reminders before you head out on one plant to look out for.
Poison ivy is a plant seen all across our region, and 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.
“Yes, it has three leaves, but sometimes it has five,” said John Jelesko, associate professor at Virginia Tech. “Poison Ivy is astonishingly [vary] in its leaf shape. It can leaflets of different orientation, they can have smooth edges, they can kind of have one or two notches or sometimes more than that.”
He said while the itch-inducing plant may not be as easily identifiable, he said there are apps people can use to help identify what is around.