# Does poison ivy play any useful role in the ecosystem? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2024, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-poison-ivy-play-any-useful-role-in-the-ecosystem/1003908 "2024-07-08T22:37:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-poison-ivy-play-any-useful-role-in-the-ecosystem/1003908/61 "2024-07-12T23:03:32Z")
Wow, you think the deer would eat it. Haven’t seen it around here. (The deer munching on it, I mean) ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-poison-ivy-play-any-useful-role-in-the-ecosystem/1003908/62 "2024-07-12T23:14:57Z")
Maybe it just grows faster than they can eat it. I saw it in North Carolina and was disturbed. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2024, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-poison-ivy-play-any-useful-role-in-the-ecosystem/1003908/63 "2024-07-12T23:33:06Z")
It’s nuts. I tell the grandkids not too stand close to it. Out by the pond there’s one stand of it that has a trunk at least as big around as a 5 gallon bucket. It soars to the top of 4 dying pine trees. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-poison-ivy-play-any-useful-role-in-the-ecosystem/1003908.md?page=3)