DALY: Knowing what poison ivy looks like will help reduce
exposure  Timothy Daly  Timothy Daly  During the spring and
summer months, the extension office receives numerous calls from
homeowners regarding poison ivy with questions like "What does
it look like?" and "How do I get rid of it?"  Poison ivy is a
woody perennial vine or shrub commonly found growing in the
forest, along the roadsides and in the home landscape. The vine
is frequently observed climbing trees or other structures. It
causes thousands of cases of contact dermatitis (redness, rash,
blisters, itching) each year. Everyone working outdoors needs to
be familiar with the appearance of the plant. The leaves are
soft and arranged alternately on the stem.  Each compound leaf
consists of three bright green shiny, elliptically shaped
leaflets.  The small stems between the leaflets have a reddish
coloring. Also, mature poison ivy plants ivy have small white
berries that are spread by birds.  All parts of the plant
(stems, roots, flowers, and fruit) a