If a bird deposits the seeds in the middle of an unplowed field, poison ivy will happily grow along the ground with runners like a strawberry plant. Sometimes it will stick up a short little stick like a periscope (looking for a handy tree? ), sometimes it will just put roots down along the runners. If it hits a tree it will happily climb.
But it does not NEED a tree any more than English ivy or a grapevine does. All three will happily smother the ground if they don't find a handy tree.
Lynn, currently itching on both forearms |
