Poke Weed In My Name But You Can Call Me Polk Salad
Ask the Expert: What is it?
This plant is growing along my driveway and I have no idea what it is or if the berries are edible. It dies every winter and comes back every spring and gets larger every year. Thank you. Randy
Polk Salad
Poke Weed
Poke Berry Plant
October 13th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Randy,
The plant you have is called Poke Weed in the genius of Phytolacca. It is a perennial that goes by many names one of the most common being Poke Salad. Other names include poke, pokebush, pokeberry, pokeroot, polk sallet or ombú. Although some places in the southern U. S. eat this plant it is poisonous to humans and other mammals. However, birds do eat the berries and expel them whole which helps the plant to spread.
October 13th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Thank you
I have been wondering about that for years.