Effective Strategies for Poison Ivy Removal and Prevention

Poison ivy, the three-leaved plant that makes most people itchy and causes a rash from the Urushiol oil flowing through it.

Poison ivy sprouting next to a tree stump.

Did you know?

Poison ivy provides berries for birds and other berry-eating wildlife. Then, the poison ivy seeds in the berries are spread by the wildlife mentioned above, leading to the spread of poison ivy. You can plant other native berry-producing plants for the wildlife to eat, hopefully not eat as many poison ivy berries.         Yeah, if it was that easy.

Humans can get poison ivy rashes, but most animals and pets don’t get rashes. The urushiol oil can be spread when you touch their fur if they have walked through poison ivy.

Where did this plant come from? It is native to Asia and North America. In North America, some claim Captain John Smith noted the plant in the 1600s. Now it has spread throughout North America, parts of Canada, and Mexico. Overtime the plant has developed into different varieties, some climb, some are just patches, thick long vines, vines with vertical spouts, waxy leaves, light green leaf color, dark green leaf color, serrated edge leaf, round edge leaf (known as Poison Oak, because the leaf shape looks similar to an oak leaf), different leaf sizes, different rash intensity and reactions, and the ability to still give you a rash in winter or years after the plant has died (up to five years the oil can still be absorbed by the skin producing a rash). Some toxicologists (people who study poisonous plants and the effects they have on living organisms) say that the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the decrease in vegetation are fueling poison ivy to grow, and make it readily available to berry-feeding wildlife, which spread the plant's seeds faster. I’ve probably missed something, but always remember to wear gloves if you are going to pull something that looks like poison ivy.

Poison ivy climbing a tree, on the left. Virginia Creeper on the right.

Poison Ivy Removal and Prevention. Please Note: There is NO single, one-time treatment to completely remove, kill, or prevent poison ivy. (Remember wildlife eats the berries and they deposit the seeds wherever they want.) The bigger the patch or vine, the more effort to remove and/or kill, so finding poison ivy starting to grow, when it’s small with a few leaves, it is easier to get rid of. The reason is, the longer any plant or tree gets to grow, the photosynthesis cycles store energy, and the plant can establish roots. This means until the plant or tree runs out of stored energy and can’t have leaves to photosynthesis to store energy, then the plant or tree dies.

Main goals: 1. Stop the poison ivy plant's photosynthesis cycle from storing energy to grow. 2. Treat poison ivy when it’s small.

Which way is best for getting rid of poison ivy? Pick what you like and fits your situation and budget. DO NOT COMPOST OR BRING TO A YARD WASTE FACILITY! Unless the yard waste facility accepts poison ivy. The plant can start re-growing in a compost pile and/or spread through the yard waste facility. DO NOT BURN POISON IVY. The smoke can cause a rash in some people in their airways when they breathe it in.

Removing by hand- Cover skin, wear latex or nitrile gloves to prevent Urushiol oil from touching your skin. Put the poison ivy plant into trash bags for disposal. Change clothes when done to wash them. This can be labor-intensive, depending on how much poison ivy you need to remove, and the added cost of getting rid of the trash bags filled with cut pieces of poison ivy. Do you include the bags in your normal trash, or do you pay to have them hauled away? (Most times, the trash bags are put into a landfill.)

Cutting the plant down- Cutting the leaves off does stop photosynthesis. It is quick and easy, remember to cover your skin, and prevent the debris from covering your clothes. The area where the debris falls over, should be blocked from people and pets walking through. To allow the cuttings to dry out. Clean the cutting surface of the machine you used with soap and water to remove the oil. Repeat cutting will have to be done to keep the poison ivy under control. But this could also help spread the plant, if there are pieces that can root themselves. This may be the best option if you have a large area covered with poison ivy, to make the area easier to walk through, and then use one of these other treatments to control poison ivy re-growth.

Pouring boiling water- Yes, boiling water will burn the poison ivy plant. Pour enough water to flood around the roots so they are burned, and everything else close to where you pour the water. This is a good, eco-friendly option.

Spraying a weed killer (Chemical)- There are poison ivy sprays available at most stores, or you can use regular weed killer sprays. Be sure to cover all the leaves with the spray; the chemical stops photosynthesis and affects the plant's health through chemical imbalance. Spray on sunny days (the higher the UV rating, the better) with no wind, to prevent the spray from drifting in the wind onto plants you don’t want treated. Spray when rain isn’t predicted, so the spray dries onto the leaves and stems, and doesn't wash off the plant. Depending on the size of the poison ivy plant, multiple applications may be needed to cause the plant to show its dying. Sunlight helps to dry the spray and dry out the plant, so anything sprayed in shaded areas will take longer to show the effects of the spray.

A mix of Poison Ivy and Virginia Creeper patch.

Spraying a weed killer (Organic/Homemade)- If you want to spray and not use chemicals, organic sprays and homemade sprays are an option. Some organic weed killers come premixed or concentrated, and you mix them yourself. Homemade sprays can be made using salt, citrus acid, vinegar (expired still works), and dish soap (not really organic). The soap helps the spray stick and dry onto the leaves and stems, while the other ingredients dry out and alter the plant's chemical balance. Similar to spraying with chemicals, watch out for overspray and spray drift onto other plants you want to keep. Spray when no rain is forecasted, to allow the spray to dry. Depending on plant size, multiple applications may be needed. Sunlight also helps with the effects of the spray. High UV-rated sunny days are better. 

Covering/Smothering the plant- Just cover the plant with a thick tarp, clean cardboard, or a clear tarp to stop the photosynthesis cycle. The clear tarp instead overheats the plant and dries it out, some claim. This is a slower process than other choices, but it is another eco-friendly way to deal with poison ivy.