Poison Ivy In MA Is Emerging Now: How To Avoid The Rash

WORCESTER, MA — It's never a bad time to learn how to spot a poison ivy plant — but this time of year in Massachusetts, it's particularly easy to identify.

As poison ivy leaves emerge in the spring, they take on a reddish color. This makes it easy to see among all the other green plants of spring. As summer wears on, poison ivy leaves turn green, making the waxy leaves harder to pick out.

A good description of the plant from the UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment:

"The middle leaflet of the three tends to be larger than the two on either side, but each measures from 2 to 4 inches in length. At maturity, the leaflets are dull or glossy green. New leaf shoots in spring tend to be droopy and reddish-green in color while in fall, the leaflets turn a vivid orange, red and yellow."

RELATED: Climate Change Makes Monster Poison Ivy, Experiment In MA Shows

Poison ivy grows everywhere. Along roadsides, at ankle level along your favorite trail, and even among the grass in your backyard. Next time you're outdoors, peer into the brush where a wooded area meets civilization. You'll likely see dozens of reddish three-leaf clusters growing from stems between 1 inch and more than a foot high.

The plant is also quite a survivor. According to UMass, poison ivy can grow in either wet or dry soil, shade or direct sunlight — and there's even evidence that climate change and higher carbon dioxide levels help the plant thrive.

Most people who touch the plant will develop an icky, itchy rash. That comes from a resin called urushiol present on the plant's leaves and stems. The good news is soap and water may be able to remove urushiol from the skin shortly after an exposure.

Here are some other resources on how to eradicate poison ivy and deal with rashes:

• UMass: Poison Ivy Fact Sheet
• Farmers Almanac: 6 Tips For Removing Poison Ivy Plants
• FDA: Outsmarting Poison Ivy and Other Poisonous Plant