Poison Oak Immune Treeworkers

[jomoco]

So upon arrival in CA in 66 at the age of seven, my older brothers and I immediately took to the hills, roaming the hills n mountains locally, killing rattle snakes, and following oak lined creek beds, and of course, coming into contact with poison oak groundcover beneath the coastal live oak trees.

 

Unlike a few of my brothers, I was able to wade through the PO with no adverse affects right from the get go, and continue to be immune to its affects to this day at age 57.

 

However I've known a few fellow friends n arborists whose immunity wore off as they aged, and must now avoid PO like the plague, like most of the general population does.

 

So an old client of mine rings me up, asks me to come up to the Julian mountains and fell a few SOD kill oaks, and cut it into firewood, to feed his woodfired pizza restaurant.

 

But the fates were unkind to my client a few days ago, as inspection of the first tree revealed a huge bee hive in its base, scratch 3-4 cords of wood, with the second tree having a nesting wraptor nest in it, complete with fledglings, scratch another 4-5 cords of firewood!

 

A bit desperate for firewood, my client points out a very old kill with lots of fallen deadwood of good size, overgrown in a field of PO. I assured my client I could winch enough wood out of there to generat a few cords atleast. While cutting paths through the PO to attach my chokers, I kept telling myself to keep my exposure levels to a minimum, but the temps were high, I was sweating profusely, and PO sawdust soon covered me pretty thoroughly.

 

I succeeded in getting a couple cords out n cut up on Monday, and despite practically swimming in the PO that day, my immunity held, but my client did not fair so well, in that I only generated enough wood to fire his ovens for a week or two.

 

I'm curious as to how many others in this biz have immunity to PO or PI, and whether they too have lost that immunity with age like some of my friends?

 

The triple leafed villain!

[Ty Korrigan]

Could that plant survive in Europe?

Ty

[farmer rod]

I hope Im not the only one, but Ive never heard of it before, what are the usual symptoms of poisoning

[jomoco]

I don't know, however the specific antigen, Urushiol, is common to the Rhus family.

 

So true poison oak or ivy, have the same active ingredient acting as an antigen, not a true poison technically speaking.

 

I believe Rhus species are found worldwide, pretty sure poison ivy's found on both coasts of Canada as well.

 

You tell me, have you encountered true poison ivy in the UK or thereabouts?

 

Jomoco

[jomoco]

I hope Im not the only one, but Ive never heard of it before, what are the usual symptoms of poisoning

 

Red rashes, that develope into blisters, that take weeks to heal.

 

Campers have been known to inadvertently burn wood entwined with poison oak or ivy, breathe in the smoke, and die as a result being unable to breathe, in fairly short order.

 

Some say tolerance to the affects of Urushiol oil exposure can be built up by ingesting tiny amounts of the leaves over an extended period. Some say that's BS and exposure to it has a cumulative affect, that'll catch up with folks unaffected by it in due time, something born out as true, in the case of my colleagues, who were immune in their youth, but lost that immunity in their 40's.

 

Jomoco

[easy-lift guy]

I have posed this question to several other members living in the UK, each have told me no. Is it possible for this plant to grow in the UK or Europe, I don't know why not.

I am also immune to Poison Ivy, since the brazilian pepper tree is very wide spread in Florida and in the same family of Poison Ivy. Mango sap from either the skin of the fruit or sap from the tree is also to be avoided if one has a known reaction from contact.

easy-lift guy

[jomoco]

Apparently poison ivy is found throughout Canada, but not above an elevation of 4000 feet.

 

So while relatively common to N. America and Asia, at certain elevations, it would be uncommon to find it in Europe.

 

Yu lucky blokes!

 

Jomoco

[jomoco]

I have posed this question to several other members living in the UK, each have told me no. Is it possible for this plant to grow in the UK or Europe, I don't know why not.

I am also immune to Poison Ivy, since the brazilian pepper tree is very wide spread in Florida and in the same family of Poison Ivy. Mango sap from either the skin of the fruit or sap from the tree is also to be avoided if one has a known reaction from contact.

easy-lift guy

 

So what's the deal with the dreaded Manikeel tree of Florida Everglades legend?

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchineel

 

Used in the slave trade and pirating tales as a form of grisly torture when shackled to it.

 

The only tree I've had hands on experience with that has an adverse affect anybody and everybody who contacts it? Called a Cow Itch tree, whose leafy undersides are dense with fiberglasslike hairs, that'll drive you mad if they fall on you. So it's pruned upwind, with a long pole saw, or forget it!

 

Jomoco

Edited August 10, 2016 by jomoco

[easy-lift guy]

Manchineel reads like a really horrible type of tree. I have no personnel experience with this species. Thanks for sharing. I will consult with my old biology/botany teacher for more info.

easy-lift guy

[jomoco]

I highly suggest watching an old classic movie called Wind Over the Everglades, about the founding of the Audobon Society, and their efforts to stop Flamingo poaching in Florida.

 

One of the stars is Burl Ives, leader of the poaching group, who exacts revenge on snitchers to the Audobon by shackling them to the trunks of the local Manchineel trees.

 

http://youtu.be/Ap3HLvsp8YQ

 

16th century Carribean natives have been documented for poisoning their arrow tips with Manchineel sap, and successfully killing quite a few Spanish invaders with them!

 

Jomoco

Edited August 11, 2016 by jomoco