Check Out Photos Of Poisonous Plants In Maine

Last summer I had a nasty case of poison ivy that drove me to the brink of insanity. This summer I'd like to help myself and everyone else stay away from having any kind of similar experience.

Luckily, according to VenomByte.com there are currently no poisonous spiders in Maine. One insect to watch out for are deer ticks. Make sure to always check yourself after spending time outside whether it's a field or the woods. Tick season is here and thriving! Other than insects, snakes, and spiders.. a lot of people forget to watch out for those poisonous plants lurking at their feet.

Poison Ivy: What some people don't realize about poison ivy is the look of the plant changes depending on the timing within each season. I'm sure you've heard the famous saying, "Leaves of three, let them be". Growing as a vine or shrub, according to Maine.gov, the plant can be glossy or dull green during mid-summer with flowers or berries and red, orange and yellow during fall.

Poison Sumac: This plant comes in the form of a small tree or a large bush with smooth leaf edges, smooth bark and grayish white fruit if in season. According to NorthernWoodlands.org this plant is uncommon in Northern Maine and tends to grow in wetland areas in Kennebec county and those south from here. Although Mainers usually lump together poison ivy, sumac, and oak, come to find out - poison oak does not travel north of the mid-atlantic states, according to botanist Bob Popp.

Wild Parsnip: With leaves that resemble celery leaves, this plant is an invader of highway areas. The flowers are yellow with five petals. The stem is hollow and grows from a range of two to five feet tall. The strange fact about this plant is that it uses the sunlight to make your skin burn. Funny enough, if you were covered in the sap at night time, it wouldn't hurt until the sun came out and enabled the chemical reaction to occur. Then the real burning would start up!

Giant Hogweed: This plant is exactly similar to Wild Parsnip, except reaches heights of 14-feet and the leaves grow up to four feet in length. Essentially, this plant is wild parsnip on steroids!

Stinging Nettle: Growing two to four feet high, this plant is native loves moist wetlands, river bottoms, compost and manure piles, or shaded areas of gardens. Funny enough.. this plant can be picked and eaten if done properly! Find some recipes here!

Keep an eye out for these guys! They are all poisonous by touch! There are many more that are poisonous if eaten that remain unlisted here.