Poison ivy is the most prevalent throughout the spring and summer. It begins to sprout in the beginning of April, peaks around July and August, and then tapers off as the fall winds down. In the autumn, its leaves fall off and the plants oils and nutrients will retreat back to the roots. Sachs warns that these roots and vines can be just as potent and full of the oil. Poison-ivy.org details countless stories of people who developed rashes from digging in soil near the vines and gathering firewood coupled with poison ivy roots.
(Text by Chris Brook / Boston.com Correspondent / Photo courtesy of www.poison-ivy.org)