Watch out! Poison ivy turns pretty colors in the fall, too

Even the mention of poison ivy can cause some people to itch, but it can be a surprising pop of color among the wooded understory, ranging from orange to red with splashes of yellow. These leaves-of-three-let-it-be plants also have greenish-white berries in the fall that are eaten by wildlife. The oily resin on the plants, called urushiol, is what causes blistering rashes on skin, which can usually be treated at home.

While it is not edible, the speckled red, orange or yellow fly agaric amanita mushroom earns fans by appearance alone. They show up on trendy T-shirts, fabrics and home décor, and the yellow versions of amanita muscaria can be found in Minnesota’s wild woods. They emerge from the soil, often among pines, spruce, birch and aspens, looking ball-shaped at first before spreading to pancake flat.

Beyond its fragrant pink summer blooms, Minnesota’s smooth wild rose offers many gifts with its bright red fall fruits, called rose hips. Used in teas, jams, jellies, syrups, beverages and herbal remedies, they can aid with a variety of ailments. They’re packed with vitamin C, which made dried rose hips a smart commodity for long-ago sailors at risk for scurvy.

Lisa Meyers McClintick of St. Cloud has freelanced for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2001 and volunteers as a Minnesota Master Naturalist.