Thursday, June 18, 2009
Ubiquitious Poke Weed
This is photographic proof that poke weeds can and will live anywhere. How the seed arrived there is an interesting question but I guess it was deposited there by a bird. Birds love poke berries as much as I hate to see the resulting purple stains. If Poke were not so easy to grow we would probably all be trying to get it for our yards. It has beautiful tropical foliage which is edible, and pretty whitish flowers followed by lovely purple berries, and great red stems as it matures. It is so perennial that it would be unbelievable unless you have tried to dig a big ol' one up.
I have never eaten poke salat, but would like to try it. I have been told that it has to be boiled through 2 waters before it is safe to eat. Makes me wonder how hungry you need to get before you figure that one out. Berries are supposedly poison, but if they are, why are their any birds left alive? berries make wonderful dye for kids to make because it fades out by the next day. I'm sure there must be a mordant that would set it, but I do not know what. I have tasted the berries and they were mildly tart. I did not eat enough to suffer any damage (as far as I can tell).
If you have any of this poke weed in your flower beds, you better pull it out before it becomes deeply rooted. Every year the root gets bigger.
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