The edge of the leaflets can be toothed or smooth.Ī poison ivy rash is bothersome. This is where the old saying, “Leaves of three, let it be,” comes from. A second type, known as eastern poison ivy, grows as a trailing vine along the ground or clinging to trees in the East, Midwest, and South.įor both western and eastern poison ivy, the leaves are made up of three-pointed leaf clusters that have a glossy surface. This type can grow to be anywhere from 6 to 30 inches tall. The most commonly found type of poison ivy is known as western poison ivy. Poison ivy grows as a shrub in the northern and western United States. Learning how to identify poison ivy may help you avoid this highly irritating plant. So, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll eventually cross paths with it. It’s been introduced to countries in Central America, Asia, and Europe and is found in Australia and New Zealand too. Poison ivy is native to every state except California, Alaska, and Hawaii and can be found in Central America, Mexico, and Canada as well.

Learn more about what these objects could be and what you can do to avoid sharing the oil with yourself or others again. If you get a poison ivy rash after the initial exposure, consider everything you’ve touched that may carry the oil. But a rash will only occur on areas of the skin that came into contact with the urushiol oil. Poison ivy rashes can grow slowly, which may give the appearance of spreading. You may notice, however, that the rash develops over the course of several days. You can also spread the oil to another person, if they come into contact with clothes that have touched poison ivy.Ī poison ivy rash cannot spread across your body either. If you touch poison ivy with a pair of pants or shirt and do not wash it after contact is made, you could develop another rash if you touch the clothing. When you touch the animal, you may pick up the oil and develop a rash.Ĭlothing fibers can also spread poison ivy’s oil. For example, a pet that encounters poison ivy leaves can carry the urushiol oil in its fur. It can, however, be spread in a few other scenarios.

Rash that get iritaed from touching it