Poison Ivy Growing Diagonally Along Chain Link Fence in album plants

In Albums: plants

Jul 9th, 2011, by Alex Zorach

Poison ivy is a plant that has always fascinated me, due to its tremendous diversity of growth habits and its ability to thrive in many different environments. It also thrives in cities, especially in shady areas with relatively richer soils, such as this location along a fence in West Philadelphia, on the south side of Baltimore avenue between 42nd and 43rd street.

Poison ivy likes to climb, and I was amused to find it here climbing on a perfect diagonal along this chain link fence.

This particular specimen shows very smooth leaflets with few lobes, and indeed, no lobes on many of the leaflets. The leaves are medium-sized and relatively delicate. However, even on this plant you see the characteristic variability...light yellowish-green to very deep green, a few leaflets with lobes, a combination of climbing and free-standing stems. Poison ivy is a tremendously variable plant!