What is Pokeweed?
Pokeweed is a term used to refer collectively to many plants in the Phytolacca genus, most particularly P. americana, which is native to North America. Some pokeweeds are invasive, especially in North America, and these plants have historically been used in folk medicine and cuisine, despite the fact that they are poisonous, and special care must be taken to prepare pokeweed products for consumption. Plants in this genus may also be known by names such as inkberry, pokeroot, pokeberry, or poke salet. The plant has broad, simple leaves which are green with a reddish vein, and tall stalks of white flowers which mature into dark red berries. These berries are often favored by birds, but the entire plant can be very dangerous for mammals. The roots and stalks are especially toxic, but the leaves and berries carry enough toxins to cause severe illness or death. Horses, for example, sometimes get very sick from eating pokeweed which is allowed to grow in their paddocks. Historically, some cu
