Back yard volunteer [PICS]

berobinson82

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A little ways back I was clearing some overgrown brush from the backyard. There were some pine stumps and liquidamber trees growing that were larger than I want back there and needed bigger tools. I literally tripped over this thing. It was a bit taller obviously and I hacked it back to a smaller size. Maybe 11 or 12 inches.

I think it's some type of birch. Maybe someone can help me with the ID. The bark seems to be such that it won't heal over very well. It's thin and flaky. Regardless, it is growing on land I own, costs a bit of sweat and I thought "why not?".

Since then it's started to push some new leaves. Hopefully they have enough time to harden off before winter comes... if we do get a winter this year. It's been so mild in Virginia that I'm wondering if they are going to need to change the USDA hardiness zone. :rolleyes:

Thanks for lookin'.

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Brian Van Fleet

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Looks a lot more like a cherry of some kind...surrounded by lots of poison ivy!
 

berobinson82

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Well that's good intel! I NEVER work in the yard without wearing jeans, gloves, and boots. I'm a magnet for anything that bites and obviously not well practiced in spotting poison ivy. :eek: Out it comes this weekend. Thoughts on digging it this coming spring?
 

jkd2572

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Round up makes a poison ivy killer that works. It kills to the roots. It's hard to pull that stuff up and keep it gone. It seems any left roots will just sprout new growth.
 

coh

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Also...if you're allergic...I'm pretty sure the roots also contain the allergen (urushiol) so be careful when digging around that tree!

Chris
 

Poink88

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And avoid burning any of that poison ivy (even dry). If you inhale the smoke...you will be very sorry.
 

Nybonsai12

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And avoid burning any of that poison ivy (even dry). If you inhale the smoke...you will be very sorry.

Spot on. The oil from these can stay around for a long time so anything that comes in contact needs to be washed right away. I have a ranch with a lot of skylights. When we first moved in the home once it was fall I saw poison ivy leaves on the skylights. I thought how the hell did that get up there? I was digging up some shrubs around a tree in flip flops, tank top and shorts one day after work for like 10 minutes. I came inside went to the can and hung out the rest of the night. Within 48 hours I was in the ER with the rash everywhere, I mean everywhere.

Turns out there was a vine growing 50 feet up the tree that I was digging around. It was mixed in with all the regular ivy and was as thick as my arm. Roots from it were around where I was digging. Awful awful stuff.
 

jkd2572

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I weed eated a section of property in shorts and flip fops. Did not realize there was poison ivy. The weed eater splattered the stuff all over me. It was awful. I hate that stuff. If I see it now its 911 round up poison ivy killer comes out. Regular round up does not even phase it.
 

berobinson82

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I honestly don't think I've ever suffered from poison ivy and thanks to you guys hopefully won't have to any time soon. Seems like a terrible landscape with kids around. Again, thank you.
 

Jason_mazzy

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could be choke cherry. we have em here all over. I am watching tv show so I haven't looked at the leaves but the bark looks like one a lil bit.
 

coh

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I weed eated a section of property in shorts and flip fops. Did not realize there was poison ivy. The weed eater splattered the stuff all over me. It was awful. I hate that stuff. If I see it now its 911 round up poison ivy killer comes out. Regular round up does not even phase it.
I've seen photos on the internet of people who've done exactly this. Pretty gruesome! Basically the weedeater releases all the poison and throws it everywhere as it shreds the leaves. And you're right, regular round up has little effect on the stuff.

Chris
 

Tieball

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Brush away

I use a product called Kleen-Up. It has work on poison ivy better than the Round-up I've used before. Round-up did the job...but I think I just liked the Kleen-Up results better in a woody area situation. Use a higher strength mix. As someone else said: Never burn poison ivy. The oils vaporize into a fine particle mist and you will suffer for breathing the mist. Breathing the mist is very harmful. Generally, I've sprayed areas and then just left them alone for a couple of winter seasons...spot treating again if an ivy plant was missed. This has worked for me...my ivy infestation was much like yours...and I too found it by mistake and then became well aware of poison ivy.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Hey Brian, did you ever post an update on that cherry? Or do you have any current shots of it?

Here you go my friend...keeping it as compact as possible for the first few years, so it looks pretty jammed up. After some secondary branches have a little movement, I'll allow it to widen some.
 

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