Deadly. Powerful. Beautiful. The much-hated plant called poison ivy is
all of these--and more. Poison ivy has long irritated humans, but the
astounding paradox is that poison ivy is a plant of immense ecological
value. In Praise of Poison Ivy explores the vices and virtues of a plant
with a dramatic history and a rosy future. Once planted in gardens from
Versailles to Monticello, poison ivy now has a crucial role in the
American landscape. The detested plant is a lens through which to
observe the changes and challenges that face our planet. For centuries,
poison ivy has bedeviled, inconvenienced, and downright tortured the
human race. This book covers the unique history of the plant, starting
with the brash and adventurous explorer Captain John Smith, who
"discovered" poison ivy the hard way in 1607. Despite its irritating
qualities, the magnificent scarlet-and-gold autumn foliage lured
Virginia entrepreneurs to export the vine to Europe, making it one of
the earliest documented New World plants to cross the Atlantic, and its
meteoric rise to fame as-of all unlikely things--a garden plant.
Showcased in the pleasure grounds of emperors and kings, poison ivy was
displayed like a captive tiger, admired by Thomas Jefferson, Marie
Antoinette, and Josephine Bonaparte. Today, poison ivy is valued by
environmentalists and native plant enthusiasts who name it one of our
most important plants for wildlife as well as for soil conservation. In
Praise of Poison Ivy will reveal why, in its native American habitat,
poison ivy is a plant of astonishing ecological value. Poison ivy leaves
are an important wildlife food, and the berries are a crucial source of
winter nutrition for beloved bird species like robins, bluebirds and
cardinals. On a national listing of hundreds of native plants that are
of value to wildlife, poison ivy ranks seventh in importance. In Praise
of Poison Ivy also explores the question of why this plant is apparently
on a mission to give us humans grief, from itchy ankles to
life-threatening medical emergencies. The book will examine why poison
ivy targets humans, but no other species, and explain the mystery of why
a privileged few are immune to its itchy consequences. Since the time of
John Smith and Pocahontas, the American landscape has changed in
countless ways--many obvious, some subtle. This book will reveal why
there is far more poison ivy on the planet now than there was in 1607,
with lots more on its way. It examines the ecological reasons for poison
ivy's rosy future, note the effects of climate change on native plants,
and investigate the valuable role that poison ivy could play in our
changing world.
