Toxic Plants in the Lower Mainland

Discussion in 'Outdoor Gardening in the Pacific Northwest' started by psi4ce, Apr 30, 2004.

  1. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Really? These seem all to be in groups of three, with some lobing on the leaves. Is there a walnut whose new leaves do that? The circumstantial evidence for that is good, and I can find NO sucker photos to compare them to to rule it out, but those lobes have me wondering.

    I've never been able to recognize poison ivy, though it was shown to me when I was at camp in Maine as a youngster. The photos I'm seeing on google for poison ivy look just like these.

    Joseph, where is this?
     
  2. Lysichiton

    Lysichiton Active Member

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    As I recall, the leaves of Poison Ivy are not dentate (toothed or jagged around the edges). Certainly not as much as the last two plants you show. Poison Ivy leaves are also more glossy.

    The best suggestion I have for you is to look at E florabc to get a comparison.
    http://ibis.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/eflora/

    A search for "Toxicodenron" in Eflorabc brings up the two species - Poison Ivy and Poison Oak. Personally I have seen neither in the lower mainland, nor heard of anyone encountering it. Lots of Poison Ivy around Kelowna though.
     
  3. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    is the third photo (posted today, 942am) stinging nettle?
     
  4. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    ... i'd add another to this list (tho not directly a skin itch plant) - and that is, it surprises many people that we have cactus in BC - sometimes on the Gulf Islands (dry rocky outcrops) - and for sure in the Okanagan - I can think of one major patch along the Kettle Valley Rail Trail where it crosses Sutherland Road on the Naramata side of Okanagan Lake --- it certainly is pretty - but you don't want to be tromping thru it that's for sure.
     
  5. Lysichiton

    Lysichiton Active Member

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    Yep, cacti. They are on Vancouver Island as well. I have seen Opuntia fragilis as a coastal plant North of Nanaimo...careful where you sit!
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2015
  6. Lysichiton

    Lysichiton Active Member

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    No. The Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) has very regular dentation around the leaf margin, obvious "hairs" and no lobing, unlike the picture.

    Note: when posting pictures of herbaceous plants, it really helps to have several showing 1) The plant overall in it's surroundings. 2) The leaves and their attachment to the stem 3) The flower or fruit 4) A mature plant. Juvenile specimens are much harder to identify

    ...just my opinion.
     
  7. Joseph Lin

    Joseph Lin Active Member 10 Years

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    Thanks all, I will ask my friends the locations and send me more detailed photos if any.
     
  8. pinenut

    pinenut Active Member 10 Years

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    I'm pretty sure I've seen Water Hemlock in the ditch on the way to Beaver Creek. Cicuta species. I wasn't going to stop the truck and cut off a sample with my leatherperson. Seems to me it appears in pocket novels as an assasin's poison.
    Anyway, if it does grow here, it seems reasonable that it would grow there.
     
  9. Joseph Lin

    Joseph Lin Active Member 10 Years

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    Sorry, my friends doesn't have other photos or location info for me. Thanks for all your answers. At least, I know better about the "Toxic Plants in the Lower Mainland"
     
  10. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Of Joseph's photos:

    1) looks like poison ivy to me -- I would avoid. The "thumbs" are fairly apparent (compare with this explanation in this article)

    2) looks more like a maple (Acer negundo?), in part because of the paired young leaves emerging from the tip, in part because of the lighter green colour and in part because of the general lack of "thumbs"

    3) I believe this is a Rubus[ leaflet, given the serration
     
  11. Nathan Dickerson

    Nathan Dickerson New Member

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    Yes we do have poison ivy. I found it in Stanley Park and made a video:

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 30, 2018
  12. vitog

    vitog Contributor 10 Years

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    Probably Rubus ursinus, trailing blackberry
     
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  13. Nathan Dickerson

    Nathan Dickerson New Member

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    Do yourself a favor and check the local woods and trails before billing a trip to another region.
     
  14. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Agreed, it is almost certainly that.
     

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