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Virginia Creeper |
Summer's Hottest
Page! Encountering a plant with three distinct leaves does not necessarily mean the worst- Virginia Creeper is a native plant beneficial to Florida bees and wildlife. But this benign relative of the Grape can sometimes masquerade as Poison Ivy, causing confusion and consternation. Because, though the creeper's compound leaves usually have 5 leaflets, they may also have 3 (or 7). And, both Virginia Creeper and Poison Ivy display red pigments in fall and winter. Homeowners in Florida may find Virginia Creeper growing on their fences, walls, and on tree trunks. For naturalized landscaping effects or when landscaping for wildlife, it may be desirable to maintain some vines of Virginia Creeper. |
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Poison
Ivy, is also a Florida native plant, but has irritating sap like other
of its relatives within the Cashew Family. For most people, an
irritating sap is difficult to tolerate in any family. Poison Ivy (above)
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Cabbage Palms (Sabal palmetto) which are transplanted from wild areas into urban landscapes as well as trees grown in field nurseries frequently host growths of Poison Ivy, Virginia Creeper, or both. |
| The leaves of Poison Ivy are compound, each leaf comprised of 3 leaflets. In general, the stalk of a leaf, whether simple or compound, is the petiole, and the stalk of a leaflet is a petiolule. | |
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DERMATOLOGY RESOURCES
American Academy of Dermatology: Poison
Ivy-Sumac-Oak
Javier Avalos
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Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants Images showing: Red Leaves of Poison Ivy, Poison Ivy with Lobed Leaflets, White Flowers of Poison Ivy, Poison Ivy with Few or No Lobed Leaflets Many gross pictures on this Zanfel Laboratories Site Outsmarting Poison Ivy and Its Cousins The USDA's article has Poison Ivy advice for the unlucky |
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Credits Images: From the Plant Systematics Teaching Collection, University of Wisconsin, Madison Florida Distribution Maps: From the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants by Richard P.Wunderlin and Bruce F. Hansen, USF Institute of Systematic Botany Text and Design: Leigh Fulghum, Florida Plants Online e-mail: flplants@floridaplants.com |