Native Foe Turned Friend
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is excited to announce plans for its latest addition: a Poison Ivy Garden. The new garden will provide seasonal interest and great fall color.
The addition of poison ivy is part of the Garden’s educational mission. Signage will help guests learn valuable information about the toxic plant, such as “Leaves of three, let it be!” By turning a foe into a friend, the Garden will explain how this native plant supports the local ecosystem as both food and habitat for insect and animal populations. Guests will also learn more about poison ivy’s ability to thrive in a wide variety of soil and moisture conditions. According to the New England WildFlower Society’s Go Botany project (supported by the National Science Foundation): “Field experiments have shown that poison ivy is tolerant of being inundated by wastewater, and could potentially be used to treat sewage.”
Clearly, the time to celebrate poison ivy has come. Six-foot-tall clear plastic walls will be constructed around the new garden to ensure guest safety and maintain aesthetics. Because they are immune to poison ivy, goats will be brought in to maintain the area.
We hope that you will get the itch to come and see the new Poison Ivy Garden soon.
April Fools!