Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Compound Leaves, Poison Ivy and Aboriginies

I've had quite a few instances, while in the company of a client, when they were in somewhat of a shock as I pulled up Virginia Creepers with my bare hands. Virginia Creeper will run rampant in a garden, so pulling it out is good for your other plants. The thing is, Virginia Creeper looks a bit similar to Poison Ivy. Sort of.

Knowing just a few details, will allow you to quickly tell the difference.
In an upcoming video, your camera shy host "attempts" to show you these differences. In the process, I mistakenly say that Poison Ivy has three leaves. It has three leaflets, actually, that comprise one leaf. Virginia Creeper also has leaflets (I'm not going to tell you how many so you'll watch the video. HAHA!).

Here are a couple of examples of a simple leaves and a compound leaves:




This is a red maple leaf. It is a simple leaf. One leaf, no leaflets.








This is a hickory leaf. It's a compound leaf. It has 9 leaflets, comprising 1 leaf.








So, on with the video. It contains a bonus section at the second half of the video. Enjoy! And remember, the white berries and hairy stems of poison ivy are also poisonous. Click here for the 3 minute video.