Poison Ivy: Hairy Vine
There are almost as many ways to climb trees as there are species of vines. Grapevines have curly tendrils that grab branches, while Virginia creepers use little suction-cups. Asian bittersweet corkscrews its way round and round the tree trunk. But poison ivy’s method of ascent is unique. Poison ivy gets to the top by growing thread-like rootlets all along the length of its stems. At first the rootlets appear as little patches that look like tufts of fuzzy hair. The furry roots secrete a glue-like substance which virtually cements the vine to tree or wall. As the main stem ages, more and...
Read MoreWild Grape: Clinging Vine
There’s something shady about vines. Look at the names we give them—creepers, stranglers, parasites—they’re the bad guys of the plant world. To those of us raised in a strict Puritan work ethic, there’s something morally dubious about a plant that can’t stand on its own two feet, so to speak. Why can’t vines support themselves and not go draping themselves all over other plants? A “clinging vine” is the very definition of weakness. But Darwin considered vines to be among the most powerful and highly-evolved plants on the planet. Vines like grapes, bittersweet and poison ivy are extremely...
Read MorePoison Ivy: A Good Thing
Poison ivy climbing up trees can be a good thing. PI rarely impacts the host tree severely. But the best thing about poison ivy is this: birds love it.
Read MorePoison Ivy: Hairy Vine, A Danger Sign
How can you tell if it’s poison ivy twined around your backyard tree, when the leaflets three are long gone? Look for the hairy vine.
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