Pokeweed

I thought I’d take the time to shed some light on a misunderstood plant to watch out for: Pokeweed (Poke, pokeberry, poke sallet, inkberry).

This plant is highly toxic, but also highly medicinal. Let’s check it out:

Plant Profile:

Scientific Name: Phytolacca americana

Preferred Habitat: I have found pokeweed in almost every type of environment. It seems to grow just fine in heavily disturbed soils, as well as wetlands, along trails, in old growth forests, and in cracks of concrete.

Edible Parts: Young shoots (when steamed and blanched), the berries and root were used under specific conditions as medicine by the native Americans. (Never eat poke raw).

Harvest Time: Immature greens can be picked in the spring, berries are available late summer to early fall.

Distribution: Most of the Midwest and Eastern US, and as a weed in Japan.

Key Identifiers: Broad leaves with thick, juicy stems and vibrant berry clusters that dangle from branches.

Look-Alikes: This plant is toxic (when consumed incorrectly) but can be mistaken for elderberry or wild grapes if you’ve never seen either before.

Nutrition: (Per 1 Cup of young greens)

• Vitamin C 217 mg

• Vitamin A 696 µg

• Vitamin B2 0.528 mg

• Iron 2.72 mg

• Manganese 0.669 mg

• Copper 0.251 mg

• Vitamin B6 0.234 mg

• Vitamin B3 1.92 mg

• Vitamin B1 0.128 mg

• Phosphorus 70 mg

Pokeweed is a complex plant, but let’s start with the basics: Pokeweed is very toxic when not used properly, and is occasionally deadly. Here is a quote from the Wikipedia page about pokeweed:

The plant has varying levels of toxicity in different parts of the plants that tend to get more toxic as the plant matures, and if death occurs it is usually due to respiratory paralysis.

One important note is that in the berries, it’s the seed that is toxic, not so much the berries themselves, so some trained herbalists will swallow the berries whole without breaking the seeds to gain medicinal benefits.

Ok now that I have your attention; the native Americans used to use this plant medicinally. But how was that possible?

While I don’t recommend trying this until you’re very familiar with the plant and how to prepare it, here are some facts to note:

• Potential medicinal qualities I’ve heard of include treatments for: rheumatoid arthritis, breast cancer, mastitis, and inflammation.

• The leaves are best harvested when immature (under 7 inches tall) and processed blanched or boiled. DO NOT EAT RAW.

• Timing is everything. Once the stems turn vibrant pink, it’s best not to harvest it.

• Pokeweed has been consumed on multiple continents by people for centuries.

• Tinctures can be made from the roots and fruit as medicines.

So is the plant toxic? Yes. Can it be used properly? Absolutely!

This might seem like a scary plant and when misused, it can be. Just like many other plants we eat regularly (tomatoes, potatoes, apples, eggplant) it contains toxins, but can be prepared or eaten properly when you get to know it. There is a safe dosage to gain medicinal benefits.

So how do we use poke? Here are a few ways:
DISCLAIMER: Try at your own risk and know that I have not personally tried all of these!

• Poke Sallet: Boiling twice can get rid of any potential toxins in young shoots and leaves. This has been a common Appalachian meal for a very long time especially when prepared with eggs and bacon! (“Sallet” is an older word that used to mean “seasoned” or “salted” greens which eventually became “salad” which refers to fresh greens.)

• Tinctures: Poke root tinctures do exist and can be purchased. The dosage should generally be quite low (as in, a single drop per day) but consult the packaging instructions and use as directed.

• Dried: Poke berries can be dried and consumed whole (don’t bite the seed) as a supplement.

• As a Pill: Ok this is where I will say do your own research. I have seen multiple people eat the berries (swallowed whole, not biting into the seeds) as a treatment for arthritis and inflammation and many people swear by it. To make it a little easier, I’ve also heard of freezing the fresh black berries before swallowing them. The seed doesn’t break down in your digestive tract, and that’s the part of the fruit containing the actual toxins.

All that to say, it is a very medicinal plant, but like other medicines, too much can cause negative effects.

An easy and safe thing to do with pokeberry is to use it as an ink or a natural dye. The color is a vibrant purple-pink hue and it ends up looking very pretty. This is pretty easy to do from what I understand, although I have not yet dabbled in natural dyes yet!

While I don’t know that any varieties have ever been bred out, here are a few places to buy the seeds if you don’t want to go look for any in the wild:

Native American Seeds

Strictly Medicinal Seeds

And here is where you can purchase some poke medicine:

Mountain Rose Herbs (Dried poke root)

Amazon (Tincture, this is my affiliate link)

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