Noxious weeds

In this thick forest, just behind our house in Maryland, something wicked lurks.  The lush green is deceptively dangerous.  It has given birth to an unwanted intruder.

And there the Intruder is, brazenly climbing an outer wall of the house!

Here is the Intruder again, unsuccessfully trying to blend in with the harmless, non-dangerous plants around it.

The Intruder is none other than Poison Ivy, a scourge of the New World, particularly eastern North America.  So far at least, it is not found in the Old World.  Hopefully, it never will be.  The Old World has enough scourges of its own.  Nor is it usually found in Rocky Mountain states, like my home state of Montana.

Poison ivy produces urushiol, a skin irritant that causes an itching rash commonly known as urushiol-induced contact dermatitis.  The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that there are up to 50 million cases of urushiol-induced dermatitis annually in the United States alone.  Symptoms of the rash include itching, inflammation and oozing.  In severe cases, one can even have a burning sensation.  Needless to say, it is uncomfortable to see.  It is even more uncomfortable to experience.  The rash persists typically for one to two weeks although some cases have lasted up to five weeks.  Believe me, that is a truly horrible thought!  Because the reaction is an allergic one, people may develop progressively stronger reactions after repeated exposure.

HWMBO and I have now joined the statistical 50 million for 2010.  One would think that we would not knowingly touch this truly vicious plant.  I can assure you that I, for one, did not knowingly touch it.  I wore long pants, a long sleeved shirt, shoes and socks and, most especially, gloves when I helped him clear out the weeds in our tiny back garden in preparation for the Fourth of July holiday.   HWMBO wore shorts, short sleeves and sandals.  Guess whose symptoms are worse and far more extensive!  Life is indeed not fair.

Urushiol adheres to anything with which it makes contact, including clothing, towels, blankets - even pet fur.  I apparently didn't change or wash my clothing quickly enough.  Since discovery of the affliction, my washing machine has been pushed to heroic cleansing efforts, even though they are now much like closing the stable door after all the horses have fled.

Fortuitously, I had a routine doctor's appointment last week.  The doctor, upon seeing my rash, shook his head and asked whether I had been doing any gardening lately.  He prescribed a steroid cream.  It helps somewhat but can only be used twice a day.  The itching occurs more frequently than twice daily, believe me!  Thank heavens for calamine lotion, although I prefer Caladryl Clear.  I will survive, but this summer will not be among my favorites to remember. 

There are some places in the United States and Canada that have officially designated "Poison Ivy" as a noxious weed.  Typically, noxious weeds are plants that grow aggressively and multiply quickly without natural controls (native herbivores, soil chemistry, etc.).  They adversely affect native habitats or croplands.  Finally, they are injurious to humans, native fauna, and livestock through contact or ingestion.  They are truly wicked.  Most of all, they live among us.