Butterfly's Psyche

And by “burning” I mean the itchy, burning, misery that touching this plant and its relatives can cause! Over at Stuff from the Attic, Connie asks, “What is its purpose?”

There are many things which serves purpose in our lives. Poison ivy isn’t one of them.
I wondered about this question from the first time I contracted this horrible affliction nine years ago.

Like her, I’ve had terrible effects from touching the plant; I’m hypersensitive to it, so much that I can’t even eat mangoes! (Yes, those luscious fruits are related to this noxious weed. It was actually harder to give up eating mangoes than to quit drinking.) However much we hate the plant, though, Connie finds some human benefit in it:

I truly believe at one time poison ivy, oak, and sumac may have served a better purpose, like stuffing it into an enemy’s bedding or mixing it into a potion of sorts.

First of all, I would LOVE to stuff some poison ivy in the bedding of some people I know! Second, it did indeed make some potent potions used in botanical remedies – she links to the no-longer-modern but very well-done “A Modern Botanical,” which lists a number of old medical uses for the plant.

So there really are a few benefits to humans. But as a nature-lover and birdwatcher married to a botanist, I’ve learned that poison ivy is very beneficial for wildlife! The berries, which remain on the plants all winter, are an important food source for birds and small mammals. Because the leaves are so toxic, the plant can grow tall/wide (depending on if it’s a more viny or tree-like variety) and produce a) lots of berries that aren’t eaten before winter and b) berries that are high above the level of an average snowfall.

That’s not to say that nothing eats the leaves. Some caterpillars happily munch on them with very little fear of any predator (“yeah, c’mon into the poison ivy and get me! I dare you!”), and certain gall insects can turn a smooth green leaf into a warty blemish-covered landscape that is at least as unattractive as the rash is on us! Here’s a photo I took of Poison Ivy Leaf Gall Mites (Aculops rhois) infesting the plant:

That is a very satisfying picture, isn’t it? Because although poison ivy does serve several important purposes, it’s still nice to see it getting a rash for once!

For prettier pictures and information that will help you identify the plant and its relatives throughout the year, check out “The Poison” by Kimberley at Life with a Possum. While you’re there, enjoy her lovely site design!