American Pokeweed - Birds Love the Berries, but Poisonous to Humans
Many birds love pokeweed berries, but all parts of this plant are poisonous to humans and many animals. The berries sure do look like they'd be tasty, but you'd better stay away!
I can only imagine how many people throughout history have made that mistake.
According to Wikipedia, the toxins in pokeweed are from highest to lowest:
- rootstock
- leaves
- stems
- ripe fruit
And according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the symptoms read like many of the big-pharma drugs we get bombarded with on TV:
Symptoms may include:
- Diarrhea, sometimes hemorrhagic (bloody) diarrhea
- Stomach pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weakness
- Muscle spasms
- Convulsions
- Seizures
- Headache
- Heart block
- Rapid pulse
- Low blood pressure
- Slow or difficult breathing
Pokeweed is one of those plants that is not well-served by Wikipedia. I'm going to stand up for Pokeweed, because it has been real food for regular people for a long, long time. You've got some nice pictures here and I'm not being critical - I'm just a fan of the Pokeweed!
There are people who have relied on this plant for real food. Find an old-timer who has lived close to the land and they will tell you about using this plant.
Up until 2000, it was even for sale in cans at the grocery stores, mostly in the US South. Allen Co. stopped selling it - not because of safety or lack of demand, but because they couldn't get enough harvest from people who picked it from the wild. It used to be good money for a family to pick poke for the canning plant in Arkansas.
It's where the terms "Poke Sallet" and "Poke Salad Annie" come from. I picked a lot of this as a kid, with my dad - grocery sackfuls. And I eat it now, too. It's a wonderful cooked green -- if you know how to prepare it. I stress that last part!
Sorry if I rambled too much! You are lucky to have that pokeweed near you! And even if you don't ever eat it, isn't it a cool-looking plant? I enjoyed looking at your pictures!
Thanks for such an insightful reply @haphazard-hstead!!! I've seen pokeweed on occasion here in the Northeast US, but never dared to try and eat it. Wikipedia did mention that pokeweed berry juice was used long ago to color wine. And I did read on another website about how you can strain/drain away liquid to make them less toxic. However, I'm guessing that trying to make a stew with pokeweed roots could actually win you a Darwin award ;-)
And yes, it is a very cool looking plant. When I saw such a large grouping of them, I just had to stop and photograph them.
You got that right about those roots! That's a sure way to have real problems! :P
Can I resteem this to our Foraging trail? These are great photos for this plant. And pokeweed is one of those plants that hits a lot of issues in foraging.
If you make any other posts that relate to foraging, too, if you add the Foraging tag to your posts, it will be easier for me to find it and consider it for the SteemTrail @foraging-trail curation. You can find out more here and here. Thanks!
Sure, @haphazard-hstead, and thanks!
You're welcome. I like seeing what you are finding there in New Jersey!
Where were these taken? I'm wondering what parts of the world they grow in.
I think that pokeweed, the Phytolaccaceae family, is endemic to the Americas and Africa. The most prolific here in the States are those beauties pictured above, Phytolacca americana. It's actually a highly medicinal plant, though because of the toxicity, as @cognoscere noted (kill you dead toxicity), it's recommended that you use this only under the guidance of an herbalist who is very experienced with it. And do your research of course... Excellent photos! Anyone who didn't know how to recognize this plant certainly will after seeing your post, @cognoscere. Thanks for sharing!
Good to know. I probably would've said Mmm cherries! as I shoved a handful in my mouth.
Hahaha! Well, they are pretty!
Thanks @jenncapestany, yeah I don't think I'd try to cook, eat, or self-medicate with pokeweed of my own accord. With guidance, as you suggest, maybe!
Hi @shenanigator, they were taken recently at Bayonet Farm in New Jersey, the same place as Invasion of the Porcelain Berries - Nothing is Safe.