American Pokeweed, Pokeberry, Phytolacca americana

What a beautiful and useful plant this is! This plant is really attractive with its red stems and white flowers that turn into lovely red berries. The leaves also turn gorgeous colors in the fall. It can grow as high as six or eight feet.

Once you have it, you won’t need to plant it again. It comes back from the great big root, stronger every year. Also, the seeds will fall and give you many new plants that you can share with your friends. This plant has a very wide growth range in the United States, as well as a large part of Canada.

Even though every part of this plant is very poisonous to humans, the tender new shoots can be consumed in the spring as they emerge from the ground, but they must be boiled in water several times, draining and changing the water after every boil, which is supposed to remove all of the poison. I think it probably renders them totally devoid of nutrients, so I don’t advise eating them at all, except maybe in a dire emergency.

One of the benefits of Pokeweed is the fact that deer won’t eat it, so for those with deer problems this is a real blessing.

The berry juice also makes a brilliant red dye that can be used for many jobs. Be sure to wear gloves to keep the stains off your hands and to keep the juice from soaking into your skin.

But the best part is how much the berries appeal to birds. I have had mockingbirds and robins feast on it all summer, and it was a delight to watch. Sometimes as the fruit ripens it ferments and makes the birds tipsy, which can be a lot of fun.