Everywhere I go I keep one eye out for great examples of poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac.

I recently spent a week in Des Moines and noticed almost no poison ivy – it seems to be a “well-groomed” city.

But then… at the edge of a parking lot there it was: a massive shrub with branches exploding in all directions, looking for sun and for something to grab and grow on. (If that SUV stays long enough the plant will cover it up.)

It was not clear who the lot belonged to and it was a weekend, so I didn’t knock on doors to alert the proper authorities.