Pokeweed

Native distribution

Native to the Finger Lakes Region

Cultivation

A large (3-5' tall) plant with reddish stems, white flowers, and dark purple berries. Dies to the ground in fall.
Light: sun to part shade
Moisture and Soil: dry to moist soil (esp. disturbed areas)

Propagation

Seed Treatment and Storage: 60-90 days cold/moist stratify

Biocultural value

The Cherokee included pokeberries in a beverage and used them to color canned fruit. Shoots were parboiled and eaten with other vegetables or rolled in egg and cornmeal and fried like fish. The Malecite, Mohegan, and Haudenosaunee also ate the young plants, while the Mahuna and Pawnee extracted dyes from the berries. The above groups and many others prescriped pokeweed as a remedy for a range of ailments, including dysentery, rheumatism, ulcers, and bunions.

Wildlife value

Pokeweed's shiny purple berries and large seeds are eaten by at least 52 kinds of birds, in particular mourning doves, catbirds, mockingbirds, thrushes, and cedar waxwings. Birds may even become intoxicated after eating mildly fermented fruit. Berries are also eaten by foxes, opossum, raccoons, and white footed mice.

Poisonous

yes

Poisonous description

All parts of the plant are toxic, especially the fleshy taproot. The young shoots and berries are sometimes eaten, but the use of any part of the plant as food should be treated with caution because improper cooking may not completely remove the toxin. Several berries may poison a child and 10 berries or more can sicken an adult. Deaths of children have been reported from massive consumption of ripe berries. Symptoms include a burning sensation in the mouth followed by stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, weak respiration, prostration, dimness of vision, and convulsions.

Location

Mundy Wildflower Garden, McLean Bogs, South Hill Swamp, Tarr-Young Preserve

Status

L4|S5|G5