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| Poke Salad - Author's Picture |
Phytolacca americana, or "poke salad," is a type of wild green found in the southern United States. It's now growing, and has been growing for some time (let's say mid-March) where I live. Poke salad is also called inkberry, among other names. The berries that it produces are a beautiful, dark purple color. I often wonder if they could be used as pigment by an artist.
Historically, the plant was used in alternative medicine. All parts of the plant are toxic. The leaves, which can be used as (human) food, must be carefully prepared. I once got very sick from eating poke salad.
