A New Hampshire blogger who shall remain anonymous posted a photo of her property, prominently featuring Poison Ivy. I posted a comment, gently warning the blogger of the kind of plant she had photographed—really, I was the soul of discretion—and her response was dismissive, stating "(Poison Ivy) doesn’t grow upward and turn into vines…"
Knowing this to be wrong, I then offered this comment of links w/ quotes:
“Technically there is the climbing variety (toxicodendron radicans) and the nonclimbing (toxicodendron rydbergii)”http://www.poison-ivy.org/html/faq.htm
“Classic poison ivy in full swing. Some leaves are notched. Some leaves are not.”http://www.poison-ivy.org/html/summer1.htm
“When you cut down a tree for firewood you can get a good case of poison ivy from the vine stuck to the tree - even in winter.”
http://www.poison-ivy.org/html/climbs1.htm
(I remember because I took screen shots).
Mind you, this was intended to be helpful.
Her response to this was surprisingly aggressive. She called me Bozo, emphatically and repeatedly, capitalized words often (the web equivalent of yelling), and claimed that somehow, because she lives in New Hampshire ("I live in NH fercryinoutloud..."), she has some innate ability to identify Poison Ivy—this in spite of being wrong about Poison Ivy and climbing vines. Well, Bozo had what he already knew confirmed by two UNH Professors: It's Poison Ivy.
It doesn't matter that Bozo's been a landscaper in New Hampshire for the better part of twenty-five years. Bozo lives in New Hampshire, too. In fact, Bozo was born in New Hampshire! So let's forget about the troubling aspects of taxonomy. Based solely on the fact that I'm from New Hampshire I can call anything Poison Ivy—according to my sister blogger that's all that's required for me to be right about anything New Hampshire, regardless of the facts! And rightly so!
(Don't miss the photos of the "new" Poison Ivy on the following page)...
Click photos to enlarge
This is a truck full of Poison Ivy we pruned by hand, because we're stoopid. It took years of landscaping to learn how not to identify Poison Ivy. Kids, don't try this at home!
My backyard is full of Poison Ivy, which you can see in the foreground. My wife still thinks it's Sumac!
A truck prudently speeds past a Poison Ivy bush disguised as a Rhododendron. (I know it's Poison Ivy because it's on my property and I'm from New Hampshire)!
A harmless stick surrounded by Poison Ivy. My dog's mouth is itching like crazy because he's stoopid, too.
People don't realize it, but this is Poison Ivy as well.