Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Saturday - August 27, 2011

From: Cuba, MO
Region: Midwest
Topic: Poisonous Plants, Vines
Title: Removing poison ivy in Cuba MO
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I bought a home with a huge bed of hybrid iris but the bed is thick with poison ivy. If I cover myself head to toe to prevent getting it is there a way to clean the tubers so they will not be poison? Someone suggested soaking the tubers in bleach water. Any suggestions at all? I live in Missouri. Thanks for your time.

ANSWER:

We don't think you need to worry about the tubers of the iris (we assume that is what you were talking about). Poison ivy is only damaging to humans that don't have long sleeves or fur to protect them; the roots of the poison ivy should not contaminate the iris. We have extensive experience with poison ivy, so let us tell you how we did it.

We wore long pants and sleeves, and rubber gloves, just like you would wash dishes with. The first job is to cut out the poison ivy, with the gloves on. Have a trash can with a plastic liner ready, and don't let anyone else use it because they might mash the cuttings down in the bag and contaminate themselves. Using a paper towel to help get a grip on the vine, pull out as much as you can, getting roots when possible. Deposit paper towel and all in the trash sack to be sent off to the landfill. Work in from the edges of the flower bed, so you won't have to be stepping in the poison ivy. This is hard work, and you don't need to get it all out in one day. Stop, get someone else to open doors for you so you don't leave poison ivy for someone else to touch. With the gloves still on, wash your hands in dishwashing soap, strip off the gloves and go straight to the shower. Strip off the clothes and put them in the washing machine immediately, or you will re-contaminate yourself. If you accidentally brushed some bare skin with some of the poison ivy, a quick thorough soapy wash will at least dilute the effect. Each time you go back you will be able to get deeper into the bed, but keep an eye out for new sprouts where you have already cleared. The most important thing is not to allow the poison ivy to go to seed, because birds love the seeds (little green berries) and will spread them into other areas.

Get as much ivy out of the bed as you can before cold weather sets in. Toxicodendron radicans (Eastern poison ivy) is deciduous but perennial, so it will die back and disappear in the Fall and be right back in the Spring. You will never be totally rid of it, and need to be aware of outbreaks in other parts of your property. If you have a vine with a large circumference stem, get a small bottle of an undiluted wide-spectrum herbacide and some disposable sponge brushes. Using pruners, nip off the vine as close to the soil as possible. Quickly, within 5 minutes, paint the raw stump with the herbicide. You have to do it quickly so the stem will not heal itself over to protect the roots. Each time you are dressed and armed for the battle, get all of the cut or pulled out vines into the trash sack as before.

We know that there are herbicide sprays labeled as "poison ivy killers." Unfortunately, they are also everything else killers. The herbicide has no way of differentiating between your chosen target or plants you wish to preserve. Be careful with your bottle of herbicide, if you spill it or tip it over, you will take out some of the plants you want to preseve and possibly contaminate the soil. And clean off the blades of the pruners, again with the paper towels, so you will not get the poison on you when you start to prune something else.

 

From the Image Gallery


Eastern poison ivy
Toxicodendron radicans

Eastern poison ivy
Toxicodendron radicans

Eastern poison ivy
Toxicodendron radicans

More Vines Questions

Need a vine to cover a 8' cinder block wall in Fullerton, CA.
August 23, 2010 - Hi- I have a 8' cinder block wall that gets full sun, and need to find either a flowering shrub that would cover, or a vine that wouldn't be to hard to manage, or would not need to use a trellis....
view the full question and answer

Trumpet vines on wall in Longmont CO
May 18, 2010 - I purchased three trumpet vines to plant on the NW wall of my house back in 2002. Although the leaves are a beautiful healthy dark green, none of them have ever bloomed despite regular fertilizing pe...
view the full question and answer

Plant with dark black/purple berries in a cluster
November 06, 2012 - Today at our local dog park we noticed a bush/vine that's been growing up the fence is producing berries. It didn't flower at all. The berries look to have started out green and now are changing t...
view the full question and answer

Green wall panel for Dallas
August 21, 2007 - We are working on a green wall panel for a hotel near SMU--I see your list of recommended species for green roofs, & wondered if you have any ideas for vertical applications. Probably will have someth...
view the full question and answer

Grape Vines and spacing for Portland, OR
September 10, 2009 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants, I have a somewhat small south-facing yard next to my home (less than 8' wide). I would like to build a tall arbor for grapes that runs along the length of my home (about 4...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.