The old adage, “Leaves of three, leave it be,” is somewhat true – except when they have five or seven leaves to a cluster. The shiny red leaves are almost enticing to touch. And what do you do when poison oak is bare of leaves and there’s only an outward-reaching branch just waiting for you to walk by? Suffice it to say that poison oak is not always the easiest plant to recognize.
Of course, recognition is not at the top of my game plan when I go weed-eating the more desolate parts of the garden. I have a mission in mind and when that weed-eater gets eating nothing can block my path – not even poison oak. Inevitably, I’ll dismember a plant and say to myself, “Hey wait a minute, was that poison oak?”
It always seems that I choose the hottest day of the year to weed-eat poison oak, too. This translates to short sleeves and shorts. Let me say this as a word to the wise: always wash your hands BEFORE you go to the bathroom when you’ve been dealing with poison oak. You’ll definitely thank me for this advise.
Poison oak can thrive anywhere. Sun or shade, water or no water, flat ground or steep hills. The green and then red leaves of three are followed by a beautiful array of white berries that attract birds of every kind. The glossy trifoliate leaves spread out over the landscape so completely that it makes one of the most beautiful shiny green groundcovers ever.
This groundcover is completely impervious to insects. There is not one known pest. Gophers, snails and deer all leave this plant absolutely alone. While this groundcover does go somewhat dormant in winter, it turns into a multitude of fall colors before it goes to sleep for the winter. Speaking from one who has had some Oscar-winning poison oak cases in the past, you do not want to be exposed to the stuff. You’ll be eating antihistamines like candy and you’ll look like the Pink Panther from all the calamine lotion you swab on to help with the itching.
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