Did you recognize last week’s puzzler as American Pokeweed or Phytolacca americana? This plant is native to eastern North America and often can be found in abandoned fields and at the edges of forest, in ditches along roads and other wild places. Pokeweed grows best in the sun and will reach a height of 10 feet if conditions are optimal. Songbirds love the black/purplish berries and help disperse the seeds.
Native Americans used Pokeweed to treat arthritis, mumps, and skin conditions. They also used the berries for ink and dyes, earning the plant the common name of Inkberry. Other common names include poke berry, pokeroot,and pigeon berry. This plant is considered highly toxic both to humans and livestock. The roots, stem, seeds and leaves contain chemicals that are poisonous to humans and livestock, but interestingly, the young shoots and leaves, harvested in the SPRING and boiled multiple times, are actually edible, though I would recommend against trying this unless you are an EXPERT and have done it before! It seems amazing that the plant is poisonous some times and not others.
Have you seen birds eating these berries?
Check out the next puzzler–another plant that can be found in abandoned fields.