One person’s poison and an antidote nearby

I have a confession to make: I’ve been enjoying watching episodes of “Naked and Afraid” (Discovery Channel). I’ve always enjoyed camping — setting up my tent, building a fire, and cooking over an open flame. And I’m sure that an inherent instinct for self-sufficiency/survival is part of what inspires me to grow a portion of my food. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to live off the land. So, this series intrigues me.

The series also appalls me. There are too many “gotchas” (dubious water sources, predators, cold/heat), and too much skin exposed to the sun’s harmful UV rays, biting insects, and poisonous plants. These aren’t just plants that are poisonous to eat, but plants that are poisonous to the touch.

So, picture it. You’ve just been dropped off, naked, into an environment where virtually all of the plants are unfamiliar to you, and the sap of one of the tree species contains an oil that causes a blistering, burning rash. How do you know the branch you’re cutting into is safe? What about the leaves you’re walking on, barefooted? As a person who suffers terribly from contact with poison ivy, I can only imagine the impossible-ness of this.

In an episode I watched recently, one member of a duo placed on the Mexican island of Cayo Venado, came in contact with the oil of the chechen tree, a.k.a. black poisonwood. The oil is embedded in a gummy substance; you couldn’t wash it off, even if you had soap, which the participants don’t.

Of course, I wanted to know more. I did an internet search and learned that the chechen tree contains urushiol in its bark. This is the same substance in poison ivy plants. It wasn’t surprising then, to learn that both plants are in the taxonomic family Anacardiaceae. But it was surprising to learn that as dangerous as many plants in this family can be, many of them are very useful to us: cashews (don’t handle the shells, though!), pistachios, pepper plant, and mangoes, to name a few.

Back to the show. Where it got interesting to me rather than simply appalling, was when the other team member remembered hearing about an antidote tree. (People setting out on these N&A adventures apparently receive a brief tutorial on the local natural history.) She was able to locate a chaka tree (Bursera simaruba), a.k.a., gumbo-limbo tree, nearby, and brought some of the bark to her partner, who rubbed it all over the rashy areas on his body. It worked.

The part that especially intrigued me is that the poison tree and its antidote live in close proximity. In fact, I read a story on the internet of two of these growing practically connected at the roots. Curiously, the two species even look similar. The poison/antidote phenomenon reminded me of what we have here: poison ivy and jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). Jewelweed contains the compound lawsone, which is proven to have antihistamine and antiinflammatory properties. (http:// www.bio.brandeis.edu/fieldbio/ medicinal_plants/pages/Jewelweed.htm)

Apparently, there are additional examples of plants with these opposite/canceling properties. If you’re interested in learning more, here is a place to start: https:// www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ the-incredible-coincidence-of-apoisonous-tree-growing-next-toits-antidote

Even if you’re not worried about poison ivy, jewelweed is a lovely plant to include in a naturalized border. The smallish, bright yellow-orange flowers attract hummingbirds, bumblebees, and butterflies. Jewelweed can be used to fill in empty spaces in the garden that might otherwise be taken over by non-native weeds. I read that it can even hold its own against garlic mustard. Jewelweed can be propagated easily by direct sowing of fresh seed in early fall. Once established, a patch of jewelweed will maintain itself through annual seed production. Be sure to plant it in a moist, partiallyshaded area, and provide water if it pops up in sunnier spots.

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” Pam’s book for children and families, Big Life Lessons from Nature’s Little Secrets, is available on Amazon, along with her companion field journal, Explore Outdoors, at Amazon.com/author/pamelabaxter.