Poke Weed
Parts Usually Used
Root, leaves, berries. (poisonous seeds should be removed from berries)
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Clump-forming, strong smelling, perennial plant, with a disagreeable scent. It has several reddish, branched stems and many large, lance-shaped leaves. Long drooping sprays of white flowers are followed by sprays of purple-black berries. The large fleshy root is covered with thin, brown bark. It produces stems that are green when young and purplish later, reaching a height of 4-12 feet, a diameter of 1 inch.
The alternate, simple, entire leaves are oblong or ovate-lanceolate and acute or acuminate. Numerous small white or greenish-white flowers grow in peduncled racemes during July and August, followed by clusters of round, purple berries which contain a crimson juice. Another variety: the Chinese pokeberry (Phytolacca acinosa) is called Shang-lu. There are 2 kinds; one with white flowers and white root which is edible when cooked, and the other with reddish-purple flowers and a purple root which is poisonous.
Where Found
It is a wild plant, rarely if ever cultivated, but it is known all over America (except extreme north of the US) and in many European countries. Found in damp soils and along the edges of woods from Maine to Florida and Texas.
Medicinal Properties
Alterative, resolvent (reduces inflammation), deobstruent (relieves obstruction), detergent, antisyphilitic, emetic, antiscorbutic (prevents or relieves scurvy), cathartic.
Biochemical Information
Saponin, formic acid, tannin, fatty oil, resin, bitter principle, sugar and phytolaccin
Legends, Myths and Stories
This American weed has migrated to Europe where it is rather common in all countries bordering upon the Mediterranean Sea. It arrived in Europe in the 19th century and is used as an important lymphatic cleanser. The medicinal use of poke was handed down by the Native Americans, who valued it as an emetic and as a remedy for syphilis and gonorrheal rheumatism. The stalks and leaves of the poke plant make delicious greens in May before they become tough.
They are at their prime in the South about the middle of April, and in the North about the first of May. They will cook in 20 minutes. One of the most curious uses of the poke color was to dye wines. Discontinued in Portugal because the poke spoiled the taste and in France because it was outlawed. The juice of the berry is a beautiful purple and can be used to dye textiles, though it is somewhat short on durability.
The name Phytolacca comes from the Greek for plant (phyton) and crimson lake (lacca), an apparent reference to the plant’s dye qualities. Called pocon by the Native Americans. The Delaware Indians used the herb as a heart stimulant. In Virginia it was regarded as a strong purgative. Even today, backwoodsmen in the Appalachian Mountains use poke for arthritis.
Uses
Native Americans historically utilized this plant as a salve and as a traditional remedy for rheumatism, while its fruits were employed to produce red, brown, or pink fabric dyes. In culinary traditions, the tender young spring leaves and early shoots were gathered and cooked as greens or prepared like asparagus, frequently consumed with the intention of toning the system, though traditional preparation methods involved repeated boiling and draining.
In historical herbalism, preparations of the root, such as tinctures, ointments, liniments, and poultices, were valued as slow-acting emetics, alteratives, and laxatives. Nineteenth-century herbalists recommended the root for various glandular and internal complaints, including enlargement of the thyroid and lymphatic glands, goiter, liver congestion, biliousness, difficult urination, and tonsillitis.
Topically, herbalists applied root teas, plasters, and poultices for conditions such as caked breasts, itching, eczema, boils, canker sores, ulcers, and general skin affections.
Warning
Do not confuse with White Hellebore (Veratrum viride) which is highly toxic. Care should be taken in using roots that are insufficiently cooked or fresh. The seeds, which are present in the berries, are poisonous and should not be eaten; particularly hazardous to children. The fresh or insufficiently cooked plant is poisonous, particularly the root. Do not eat this herb raw or inadequately cooked.
Boil and drain water off twice before eating. Avoid growing this herb in the garden if small children are present. Plant juice of the poke weed can cause dermatitis, even damage chromosomes. Overdose can cause vomiting, convulsions, and death. Avoid pokeroot during pregnancy because it can cause fetal abnormalities.
Bibliography
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copyright 1974. Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R. , Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973 Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. , Copyright 1988, published 1992 American Folk Medicine , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973 Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary , 15th Edition, F.
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Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974