In Praise of Poison Ivy

For centuries, poison ivy has bedeviled, inconvenienced, and downright tortured the human race. In Praise of Poison Ivy explores the question of why this plant is apparently on a mission to give us humans grief, from itchy ankles to life-threatening medical emergencies. The book will also examine why poison ivy targets humans, but no other species, and explain the mystery of why a privileged few are immune to its itchy consequences. The culprit is a chemical called urushiol, found throughout the plant from leaves to roots. This book examines the reasons why urushiol is considered to be one of the most potent external toxins we know according to Dr. William Epstein, a University of California dermatologist who estimates that one ounce of urushiol would be enough to give a rash to thirty million people. This book also covers the unique history of the plant, starting with the brash and adventurous explorer Captain John Smith, who discovered poison ivy the hard way in 1607. Despite its irritating qualities, the magnificent scarlet-and-gold autumn foliage lured Virginia entrepreneurs to export the vine to Europe, making it one of the earliest documented New World plants to cross the Atlantic, and its meteoric rise to fame as of all unlikely things a garden plant. Showcased in the pleasure grounds of emperors and kings, poison ivy was displayed like a captive tiger, admired by Thomas Jefferson, Marie Antoinette, and Josephine Bonaparte. Today, poison ivy is valued by environmentalists and native plant enthusiasts who name it one of our most important plants for wildlife as well as for soil conservation. In Praise of Poison Ivy will reveal why, in its native American habitat, poison ivy is a plant of astonishing ecological value. Poison ivy leaves are an important wildlife food, and the berries are a crucial source of winter nutrition for beloved bird species like robins, bluebirds and cardinals. On a national listing of hundreds of native plants that are of value to wildlife, poison ivy ranks seventh in importance. Since the time of John Smith and Pocahontas, the American landscape has changed in countless ways many obvious, some subtle. This book will reveal why there is far more poison ivy on the planet now than there was in 1607, with lots more on its way. It examines the ecological reasons for poison ivy s rosy future, note the effects of climate change on native plants, and investigate the valuable role that poison ivy could play in our changing world."