How long does a poison ivy plant live?

Answer 1

Poison Ivy is an opportunistic invasive woody perennial species whose vines always survive the winter and produces leaves that emerge in early spring that persist throughout the growing season till first killing frost, at which time the leaves drop off the vines. ALL remaining vines and fallen leaves each both retain their poisonous characteristic urushiol, always can still give you a nasty rash. The plant lives in either one of two ways. As a vine in forest it scales climbing up tree trunks, sides of building and walls, or on the ground the trailing vines may stretch outwards reaching a 1/4 mile in length. The mature plants, those that are either 2 or more years old, or grow 3 feet or taller most often produce abundant fragrant and prolific yellowish to creamy off white looking flowers that next mature into seeds that most all wildlife love to eat. It is the wildlife, i.e.,birds, chipmunks, wind and rain and flooding that help next to spread the seeds about, makes this noxious plant ubiquitous! BTW cashew nuts, pistachio nuts and mangoes all botanically exist in same family as poison ivy/oak. Who knew?

Answer 2

Air, light, water, & soil nutrients. As in most all flowering plants it requires pollenation to continue its species, or reproduces asexually by air layering upon a tree trunk or ground contact thru its aerial rootlets. Poison Ivy has been observed growing in the dark, absent sunlight. I once observed and found it growing from outside a detached garage up in thru the over head soffet, so that the existing leader vine or head of plant was found living in present conditions was absent sunlight, inside a darkened windowless garage, The actual vine was found coiled enmass resembling that of a skein of wool, ala anemic looking, since by then it had no chlorophyll, the plant actually was pale yellowish to white looking. Indeed very weird to see. But nonetheless indicative of this plants amazing powers of adaptation for its survival

Answer 3

A poison ivy plant can live for 5-10 years, but under optimal conditions, it may persist for up to 50 years or more.