What are the most common stinging plants to be aware of in North America?
What are the most common plants that can cause rashes when touched in North America? What are the most important ones to be aware of and avoid?
Before coming to the US I was only familiar with the nettle. I've heard about poison ivy, but I had no idea what it looked like, how common it was, or how bad a sting could be. Since then I learned to identify poison ivy and poison sumac and avoided them, but I got stung by something which was neither of the two (the severity of the sting was comparable to the nettle).
So, from a practical point of view, which stinging plants should one be aware of when hiking in North America?
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This is what I've found in the wonderful world of the internets: http://www.buildablock.com/blog/poisonous-plants-to-avoid-in-north-america
Personal experience living in the USA for 22 years says that there are more issues with thorn bushes than with stinging nettles. Most poisonous plants I've run into are low to the ground. If you wear pants (and are not extremely sensitive), you're almost always fine.
Also, on a side note: most hiking trails are poison-ivy free, as long as you stay on the trail and don't wander off. Unless you particularly enjoy brushing your ankles along the greenery, the hiking trails should keep you pretty safe.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/6431. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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