Episode Details

Experienced gardeners have likely learned to look out for poison ivy, a common plant found across North America, Europe and East Asia.经验丰富的园丁可能已经学会了留意毒藤，这是一种在北美、欧洲和东亚常见的植物。

While this green, leafy plant is not life-threatening, it can cause severe skin reactions in many people.虽然这种绿色多叶植物不会危及生命，但它可能会导致许多人出现严重的皮肤反应。

Associated Press gardening writer Jessica Damiano recently wrote that while she personally has not had any bad experiences with poison ivy, many gardeners she knows have.美联社园艺作家杰西卡·达米亚诺(Jessica Damiano)最近写道，虽然她个人没有遇到过毒藤的不良经历，但她认识的许多园丁都有过这种经历。

So in an effort to help gardeners – or people who simply enjoy spending time outdoors – deal with this plant, Damiano has come up with some suggestions for how to find and safely get rid of it.因此，为了帮助园丁——或者只是喜欢在户外度过时光的人——处理这种植物，达米亚诺提出了一些关于如何找到并安全摆脱它的建议。

The official name for poison ivy is Toxicodendron radicans. The plant contains oily chemical compounds, called urushiols, in its leaves, stems and roots.毒藤的正式名称是Toxicodendron radicans。 该植物的叶、茎和根中含有油性化合物，称为漆酚。

The American Skin Association estimates about 85 percent of the U.S. population is allergic to urushiols. Of those, between 10 to 15 percent are considered “highly allergic.”美国皮肤协会估计大约 85% 的美国人对漆酚过敏。 其中 10% 至 15% 被认为是“高度过敏”。

The group says this makes the plant concerning – and possibly dangerous – for about 50 million Americans affected each year.该组织表示，这使得该工厂每年影响约 5000 万美国人，而且可能是危险的。

Damiano writes that this means poison ivy should be removed from gardens in most cases. But that can be tricky; touching the plant to remove it can harm those involved.达米亚诺写道，这意味着在大多数情况下应该从花园中清除毒藤。 但这可能很棘手； 触摸植物来移除它可能会伤害相关人员。

Identifying poison ivy plants can be difficult. This is partly because the plant takes on different appearances at different times of the year.识别毒藤植物可能很困难。 部分原因是该植物在一年中的不同时间呈现不同的外观。

Most often, however, its leaves are made up of three leaflets each. The mid