Posts Tagged "poison ivy vine"

Poison Ivy: Hairy Vine

Posted by on May 4, 2015 in adaptations, plant parts, poison ivy, spring, Unmowed Blog | 0 comments

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...

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Wild Grape: Clinging Vine

Posted by on Nov 8, 2014 in fall, Unmowed Blog | 0 comments

Wild 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...

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Poison Ivy: A Good Thing

Posted by on Feb 16, 2014 in nature centers, plant parts, Unmowed Blog, wildlife, winter | 0 comments

Poison 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.

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Poison Ivy: Hairy Vine, A Danger Sign

Posted by on Dec 26, 2013 in adaptations, plant parts, Unmowed Blog, winter | 10 comments

Poison 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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