While a number of Iowa plants can be harmful to eat, only a handful cause allergic reactions when we touch them, with the most common culprits being poison ivy and wild parsnip.

Learning to spot these poisonous plants can help you steer clear of rashes, blisters and itchy, painful skin.

Iowa DNR botanist John Pearson gives some helpful tips on how to identify these plants so you can avoid coming into contact with them.

State ecologist John Pearson takes the guess work out of how to identify poison ivy and wild parsnip and offers tips to minimize the irritation of encountering these plants in this video posted by the Iowa DNR.