What kind of plant is this and are berries on this plant edible?
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The plant is about 1 foot high. The spikes were like white string with teeny white cluster whit flowers. Then green ball appeared. Then the ball turned blue while the spike stem it was on turned red. The Doves ate 22 or so blue berries, so I enclosed it with mesh to see what becomes of this plant.
Plant came up in compost pile. Never saw this plant before. What is it and are the berries human edible?
13 answers
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We call this "Poke Salad" in the south. I have never tried it in a salad. The American Indians crushed the purple berries and used the juice as a color additive. The birds love the purple berries. I always leave a few plants in my yard for bird food.
Stephanie corley
on Oct 12, 2016
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Not sure
Chris Mcmanamon
on Oct 12, 2016
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I truly believe that is pokeweed which from what I learned it is poisonus.
Janet Pizaro
on Oct 12, 2016
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Phytolacca americana which this looks like being is very poisonous to humans, all plant parts are toxic except for birds and animals that are not mammalian.
Janice Victoria Hart
on Oct 12, 2016
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Pokeweed, Phytolacca americana Most of it is poisonous. the youngest tender leaves are edible (in the south it's called Poke Salad or Poke Salat) Anyone remember the old Elvis song "Poke Salad Annie"??? Berries are edible by songbirds, but toxic to mammals. If you want to remove it, Get the whole root (it's very long) If you cut it at the ground, it will re-grow w/ multiple stems. Get rid of the berries before they reseed.
S
on Oct 12, 2016
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Yuppers, pokeweed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca_amer...
Katy Bowss
on Oct 12, 2016
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Here is the recipe for Poke Salad greens:http://www.cooks.com/recipe/n5yw5zt/poke-salad.html
Stephanie corley
on Oct 12, 2016
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please realize that new info states that plant as well as the berries are poisonus. I repeat what I previously posted. This is now and not then.
Janet Pizaro
on Oct 12, 2016
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Almost made a pie from these. Glad I checked it out online. Poison
April Wolf
on Oct 12, 2016
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Elvis did Not sing that song!
Udtnome101
on Oct 13, 2016
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Looks more like Beautyberry to me but both are poisonous so do not eat berries. If poke salad (southern name) it will come up in spring and young leaves can be eaten you cook like fresh spinach DO NOT EAT BERRIES. Poke grows straight up. If it is Beautyberry to makes a shrub and is NOT killed by frost. In the picture the berries look like poke berries but leaves look like Beautyberry. Wait till frost and if it dies it is poke. If not, the viney shrub is really pretty on a fence and birds love the berries.
Ann Davis
on Oct 13, 2016
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This is NOT beauty berry. Beauty berry is not poisonous and makes a lovely jelly. http://www.eattheweeds.com/beautyberry-jelly-...
Linda Goodwin Williams
on Oct 16, 2016
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The young leaves can be made into the above mentioned "poke salad" after boiling twice with fresh water replacement after the first boil. The berries can be used as a dye. http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problem...
Linda Goodwin Williams
on Oct 16, 2016
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