In Defense of Poison Ivy

I know, I know. I understand. It grows where I don’t want it. The NERVE. It makes me itch just to look at it and heaven forbid if its oil gets on someone else’s sleeve and that sleeve brushes against me. But Poison Ivy is a native, and native birds love the berries. Afternoon after afternoon I watch as Pileated Woodpeckers and Yellow-shafted Flickers feast on the white berries of Poison Ivy. Not such a wicked plant if you allow it to grow in the woods in its own territory. Lesson learned by yours truly. Leave it be if it is not in your gardens. The birds love it.

Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

2 thoughts on “In Defense of Poison Ivy”

  1. Thank you Brenda! I have been trying to learn all about it and never realized it has berries! 😳. Always more to learn!

    1. Hey there Susan! So very glad I’ve been able to share something with you that you find interesting. Yes, the Poison Ivy plant does get berries and also the plant has flowers. Some time ago I wrote about it, and will have to resurrect that post for you to see. Who would have thought – flowers and berries. How weird!

      Looking forward to seeing you at the end of the month, if not before.
      Many hugs,
      Bren

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