Pokeweed

Biological Name:

Phytolacca americana (Pokeweed)

Natural Habitat:

Pokeweed: This plant is native to North America and can be found in a variety of habitats including fields, meadows, and waste areas.

Description:

Pokeweed is a type of flowering plant that is commonly found in fields and other grassy areas. It is a member of the Phytolaccaceae family which also includes plants such as pokeberry and American pokeweed. Pokeweed is a perennial plant that produces large purplish stems and glossy green leaves. It produces clusters of small white flowers in the summer followed by clusters of purple or black berries in the fall. The plant is highly toxic and can cause serious health problems if ingested. In some areas pokeweed is considered a weed because of its ability to invade cultivated areas and cause damage to crops and other plants.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is pokeweed really poisonous?
A: It is native to much of Eastern North America, including Indiana. All parts of the pokeweed plant are poisonous, especially roots and seeds, but its toxicity is generally considered to be low. Pokeweed can reach up to 10 feet tall and has distinctly red stems and berries that change from green to dark purple when ripe.
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Q: Is pokeweed a narcotic?
A: Although pokeweed can cause severe poisoning in humans, Native Americans once used this plant as a heart stimulant and as a narcotic. The plant also contains a protein that has been shown to have a positive impact on HIV, a precursor to the AIDS virus.
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Q: Did Native Americans eat pokeweed?
A: The Native Americans made a tea made from the berries and used it for treating arthritis, rheumatism, and dysentery. Some people living in the Ozarks ate one berry a year to prevent or to treat arthritis.
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Q: Is pokeweed and pokeberry the same thing?
A: Most Georgians call this native plant pokeberry, pokeweed, poke, poke salad, pigeonberry or inkberry. Pokeberry is a perennial herb that can reach a height of 20 feet or more, though most never grow more than 4 to 12 feet tall. The plant’s stems are magenta and its leaves are lance-shaped.
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Q: Is pokeberry poisonous to dogs?
A: Pokeweed grows wild since no farmer would cultivate this plant because of its toxicity. Some songbird species are not affected by the toxins, but ingesting poke berries can be fatal to dogs. Examples of poke-berry toxicity are low blood pressure, stomach and intestinal inflammation, diarrhea and bloody stool.
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Q: What are the symptoms of touching pokeweed?
A: Convulsions (seizures)Diarrhea, sometimes hemorrhagic (bloody)Headache.Loss of consciousness (unresponsiveness)Low blood pressure.Muscle spasms.Nausea and vomiting.Rapid pulse.
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Q: Is pokeweed OK to touch?
A: Don’t touch pokeweed with your bare hands. Chemicals in the plant can pass through the skin and affect the blood. If you must handle pokeweed, use protective gloves. It’s LIKELY UNSAFE for anyone to use pokeweed.
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Q: What happens if you touch pokeweed with your bare hands?
A: Simply touching pokeweed roots, stems, leaves or berries can provoke an allergic reaction. Very similar to poison oak or ivy. More mild cases happen when the berry juice or plant sap comes in contact with the skin. Exposure to its toxic proteins can cause an inflamed, blister-like rash.
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Q: How did Native Americans use pokeweed?
A: Indians of the Rocky Mountain region used pokeweed to treat epilepsy, anxiety and neurological disorders. The Pah-Utes fermented berries in water to make a narcotic tea (Scully, 217). Today, pokeweed proteins have shown promise in treating certain types of cancer and inhibiting HIV cell replication (Mitich, 889).
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Q: How do I get rid of pokeweed in my yard?
A: Pokeweed can be killed with a weed killer or brush killer when applied with a pressure sprayer. If the pokeweed problem persists, you might want to try using a two percent solution of glyphosate herbicide such as RoundUp Max Control which you can buy at Amazon.
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Q: Is pokeweed psychoactive?
A: The typical infructescence of pokeweed pokeweedpoke salad (plural poke salads) A food made from diced raw fish, seasoning, diced fruit and vegetables, and sometimes rice. quotations â–¼synonym â–² Synonym: poke bowl. A food made from boiled pokeweed leaves, which are poisonous unless cooked properly.
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Q: Is pokeweed the same as nightshade?
A: The roots and seeds are poisonous. The branches bear clusters of flowers and dark red fruits. The fruits resemble the berries of nightshade and thus pokeweed is sometimes called American nightshade. Other common names are inkberry, pigeon berry, coakun, pocan bush, scoke, garget, and poke salad.
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Q: Should I remove pokeweed?
A: What to do about pokeweed? A: Your plants with pink stems and long strands of berries is Phytolacca americana (pokeweed). It is considered a non-native invasive plant and removal is recommended. Seeds and roots should go in trash to reduce chances of spreading it.
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Q: Is it okay to touch pokeweed?
A: Don’t touch pokeweed with your bare hands. Chemicals in the plant can pass through the skin and affect the blood. If you must handle pokeweed, use protective gloves. It’s LIKELY UNSAFE for anyone to use pokeweed.
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Q: How did I get pokeweed in my yard?
A: Pokeweed is able to spread by seed which either falls off the plant or is picked up and moved around by birds. Just one Pokeweed plant can produce 50,000 seeds during its lifespan and the seeds themselves can remain viable for nearly 40 years.
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Q: What happens if you touch a pokeweed berry?
A: Contact with the leaves, roots, or berries of the pokeweed plant can cause a painful blistering skin rash. Swallowing any part of the fresh pokeweed plant can cause severe toxicity and even death. The safe dose for pokeweed isn’t known.
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Q: What did Native Americans use pokeweed for?
A: The Pokeweed was used in making dyes. The dried mature leaf was used in making a yellow dye. The berry juice was used as red dye, red ink, or food coloring.
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Q: How do I get rid of pokeweed in my yard?
A: Apply glyphosate directly to the leaves of the plant to kill it. This acts through the vascular system and while it takes a while to see results, eventually the chemical reaches the roots. Other chemicals to control pokeweed are dicamba and 2,4 D. Use spot applications on plants as they occur in your garden.
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Q: What animals eat pokeweed leaves?
A: Pokeweed is a host plant for the stunning giant leopard moth. Ruby-throated hummingbirds will nectar at the plant’s tiny greenish white blossoms, and during spring and early summer white-tailed deer will nibble on its leaves and stems.
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Q: Is pokeweed good for anything?
A: Nevertheless, pokeweed root has been used for achy muscles and joints (rheumatism); swelling of the nose, throat, and chest; tonsillitis; hoarse throat (laryngitis); swelling of lymph glands (adenitis); swollen and tender breasts (mastitis); mumps; skin infections including scabies, tinea, sycosis, ringworm, and acne; …
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Q: Can you eat pokeweed raw?
A: Pokeweed is always eaten cooked. In fact, raw poke can make you sick or even kill you. It’s especially dangerous for children and older folks. Even though that sounds scary, don’t worry; we’re going to walk you through how to render this tender plant into something safe and delicious.
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About the author

Samuel is a gardening professional and enthusiast who has spent over 20 years advising homeowners and farm owners on weed identification, prevention and removal. He has an undergraduate degree in plant and soil science from Michigan State University.