Parks Department not itching to battle poison ivy

It’s a beautiful summer morning in Van Cortlandt Park. But something is lurking in the greenery, creeping close to unsuspecting ankles and shins… poison ivy.

The plant grows all over the region, from backyards to the Adirondacks. Touching its oil can cause contact dermatitis, an itchy and uncomfortable rash.

“It’s really, really ubiquitous,” Urban Park Ranger Grant Wheeler said as he pointed out a large patch of the plant just off a main path in Van Cortlandt Park

He explained that poison ivy thrives in “disturbed areas,” or places with lots of foot traffic. The plant is actually more rare in wilderness areas where humans are less likely to encounter it. 

“There’s a healthy dose of irony with poison ivy,” the ranger remarked.

Since it is against Department of Parks and Recreation policy to remove the plant in most cases, Mr. Wheeler said he and other rangers make sure to educate the public about poison ivy whenever possible. 

Nevertheless, he said, “Every year, I see people lounging in it, kids playing in it.”

A Parks Department spokesman said the department removes the plant from “certain locations citywide, paying particularly close attention to areas where people could come in contact with the ivy,” but declined to say where those locations are. 

Bob Bender, the chairman of Community Board 8’s Parks and Recreation Committee, said he hadn’t heard any complaints about poison ivy in the parks. But he added he would be surprised to hear the department doesn’t remove the plant from smaller local parks. 

Anyone who has gotten a rash from poison ivy in a New York City park might wonder why the plant is generally left alone to flourish.

Mr. Wheeler said because it’s so common — and difficult to handle — poison ivy “would be prohibitively expensive to remove.” But it goes beyond cost: poison ivy is a native plant, meaning it is a part of the region’s ecosystem.