While Ontario is home to a number of natural wonders, like Canada's oldest maple tree, it's also home to another record-breaking phenomenon, the world's tallest poison ivy plant.
Last year, a Paris, Ont., resident received a Guinness World Record (GWR) after finding the world’s tallest poison ivy plant on his family farm.
While Robert Fedrock stumbled upon the botanical marvel climbing an ash tree years ago, his discovery stayed relatively quiet for several years before it was suggested it might be worth reporting the plant to GWR.
Nestled near the Grand River, the farm is located in an area rich in vines, but one plant stood out to Fedrock. This unusually large specimen, with a diametre of about 15 centimetres (5.9 inches) and draped in aerial roots, intrigued him.
“Several years ago, I was making a new walking and biking trail through a low-lying area just on the edge of a swamp. I happened to notice a very large vine growing up a tree near the trail about 2 metres (6.56 feet) away,” Fedrock said to GWR.
Precise measurements revealed the plant had a staggering height of 20.75 meters (68 feet), which is, according to the folks at Guinness, equivalent to two school buses in length, showcasing the plant's remarkable stature.
As reported by GWR, Fedrock wanted to document this record to inspire other people to find and document even taller specimens.
Poison ivy, notorious for its allergenic oil, typically grows as small shrubs, rarely reaching significant heights. Fedrock's discovery, an exceptional vine scaling tree trunks with unprecedented vigour, remains a unique find in botanical records.
The Government of Canada outlines two main forms of poison ivy growth: a creeping vine with leafy stalks, ranging from 10 to 80 centimetres (4 to 31.5 inches), and an aerial variant, climbing 6 to 10 meters (19.7 to 32.8 feet) on various surfaces.
Ontario's natural landscape, already famed for its beauty, now boasts an unexpected wonder: the world's tallest poison ivy plant, a testament to nature's diverse and sometimes surprising creations.
