Tough as nails!

I'm about to say a dirty word here, according to the search I just did, but I can't help it, I really like this plant. (Cover your ears, Dave)...POKEBERRY! (Phytolacca americana)

I discovered one sprouting behind my lilac last year, where it grew into a splendid 8' specimen. I was very disappointed to see that there was no sign of it there this spring.

Now my alley garage has two thin strips of ground on either side of the driveway, which are covered over with white gravel and are treated each spring with Triox soil sterilizer. Nothing grows around the garage, and I mean nothing. So imagine my surprise as I pulled out this morning to see two healthy green shoots springing right up in the middle of the "killing field".

That's right...Phytolacca is back, baby! I'm going to dig up both shoots and carefully, tenderly transplant them to a more prominent setting. I fully predict that they will be dead within the week.

Good luck! LOL

Pokeberry-Pokeberry-Pokeberry-Pokeberry-Pokeberry-Pokeberry-Pokeberry-Pokeberry-Pokeberry-Pokeberry-

*watch tsavo get banned,LOL!*

What's Pokeberry?

Its a very very tall weed. For a weed its actually pretty and gets berrys that turn a dark red/purple color.

I had one growing in a pot a couple of years ago, I think a bird planted it there, for S' and Grins I let it grow just because I hadnt seen it for a couple of years.

http://www.pokeweed.net/
Just to give you an idea

If you need more, boy do I have a bumper crop! The root is big, even on a small plant, I can't imagine it being hard to keep alive.

They love being both ignored and coddled, can't get a good pokeberry down!

LOL Anybody ever still make "poke salet"? (Poke salad)

DH's grandmother's recipe: "ya bile and wrench (boil and rinse) it two or three times" (to get the poison out) She was a precious lady who is gone now. But her "poke salet" was to die for. She fried it with bacon and eggs. Yum! Just don't eat too much or else.........

However ... it is a most loved berry/seed for the wildlife. Birds, turkey, deer, bear, etc. !!
If you have areas on your property that you can 'live with it' being there .. let it go!
The Painted Buntings .. altho' SO very elusive .. love the dried berries!!

If you happen to find yourself having to traipse thru it tho', when the berries are ripe - - you may also inadvertently have yourself some 'newly' colored clothing!! But,.a mitey purtee color no doubt !!

I love that weed too! I have to find some seed before its too late. The plants I had didn't come back this year. No wonder I'm not seeing any mocking birds!

I'll send anyone who wants em pokeberry seed in the fall when they're ready. I have a bumper crop too. It grows in all the places in full sun where the mower can't get. I don't think I've ever seen a single bird paying attention to them though.

I am glad somebody likes Pokeberries, I can't stand the sight of them, it is such a horrid weed that should not be around where childen live, even our cows won't touch them where they grow in the pasture. There are two weeds I always had to cut down, Pokeberries and Thistles.
Maria

Hah hah ! I like pokeberries AND thistles! teehee

You just got to be different, right G2? ;-)))
Maria

Been the story of my life girlfriend!

Count me in CaptMicha!

OH MY GOSH! I've had that stuff growing around my place and I've been wondering all summer what that stuff is. It comes up in my garden between the corn stalks, and when I pull it up it fights back. Wherever it touches my body I get big red welts. I've been trying to figure out what it is and how to get rid of it without touching it or spreading those berries around. I seem to be very, very allergic to that stuff. That link Dravencat gave says the mature staks and roots are poisonous. How can I get rid of it completely? Is there an antidote for Pokeweed?

Just take a shovel dig it up but cover yourself very well and ship it to

Inway 222Dumb, I' even pay you the postage!!!!!! (:-)))

This message was edited Sep 23, 2004 4:12 PM

I miss the mockingbirds, Maria. The Texas state bird, BTW.

hmstyl, are you sure you aren't pulling up poison ivy? I didn't know pokeweed was poisoness to the skin. Just if you take it internally. The leaves do look somewhat alike.

Nope - but I have some of that, too. When the poison ivy touches me, the bumps are in a line - kinda like a connect the dots welt! I always wear gloves - leather work gloves. When I pulled up the red vein stuff with the ick berries between the corn stalks the last time it touched my neck and I had a horrible welt that grew to cover the whole side of my neck (which was really attractive at best!) It itches almost as bad as poison ivy - but different.

I've been telling my DH that I react to all these plants because I am such a delicate flower! :-)

John, Why are you missing them are you telling me you do not have the Mockingbird, why is that? Too warm inTexas? And please don't tell me it's because you do not have any Pokeberries, they dont even eat them here and we have quite a few MB. They seem to be quite neurotic when the look at them selves in a window or a mirror, a very funny bird with a beautiful song.
Maria

Pokeberry (aka pidgeonberry) usually bare fruit this time of year and have attracted many MB for me in past years. The MB are still here I assume but, I have no berries now to bring them in closer. And yes, they seem a little 'touched' and are fun to watch.

Well, it's not because they are afraid of humans. We have so many in our area that it's a common sight to see them fighting over territory in my front yard. But if I start up the sprinkler to water my plants, they all get along just to get a bath.

Well I just ran across this thread and now I know what all that stuff is growing on the other side of the fence..You all said it is poisonous and I imagine the horses in the field must know this since I have never seen them messing with it..We have cut them down so many times and now back again and full of berries and about 6 foot tall..

We used to mess around with the berries as kids (in PA). We would make ink or paint out of them but it turned brown when it dried, so that was kind of a bummer.

Mine gets as tall as small trees. They grow in the brambles where they don't get mowed so with all that decidous vegitation feeding it in the fall and the growth never being inhibitied by the mower, it grows like crazy.

Does anyone have seeds? I have some butterfly weed seeds I will trade.

John

John, I don't have seeds but want to say HI missed your posts
Maria

John, are you serious?

cherishlife, yes mam I am! My wild pokeberries have not come back.

Maria, hi back to ya! I guess we have been hanging out in different threads. ;-)

Well, Yesterday I saw the largest pokeweed I've ever seen in my late grandma's old garden. That thing was a tree. It literally had loads of seeds on it. How would I go about shipping them? I guess pick them off and let them dry first? I don't really need butterfly weed seeds though. Looks like Captmicha offered to trade first, if she doesn't answer you, I'll figure out a way to send 'em to ya.

Cherishlife, you have mail! :-)

Sorry, forgot! I'll go out collecting tomorrow. Please email me about it b/c I'll forget to get in contact with you.

CaptMicha, you have mail.

For those of you who don't like poke....cut it down, apply round-up to the freshly cut stump. No more poke. Every part of this plant is poisonous, so be careful when you cut it down. April

Ahhh but, my mockingbirds love it!

Must be why we have so many Mockingbirds around here. It's amazing to watch them fight over territory in the front lawn. They go for hours.

Well, If I we had mockingbirds this far north, I might leave some to grow here, too! I did see a mocking bird in Kankakee once, though. But I'm near Wisconsin! :-( April

Yeah, they are characters aren't they? Next year I hope to get a few berries from 3 highbush blueberries I planted last spring. Of course they will need to be covered with netting so I can get some, too. BTW, they are the Texas state bird. Just as loud and obnoxious as the rest of us, too!

My chickens and peacocks like the berries,too.Jody