Pokeweed

Who here has used it? The medical industrial complex has their mind made up that simply looking at a ripe berry will trigger a mass extinction event. Yet, the native Americans have used different parts of the plant for millennia, and “poke salat” has been an Appalachian staple for centuries. Even Elvis sang about it. I’m not looking to make a salad; simply to see if its helpful managing my arthritis. Does anyone here have real world experience with it?
Thanks.

 

Have not used it myself, but have been on a "medicinal plant kick" for the last year to year and a half. I think the vids I watched said boil the leaves, maybe changing the water...? I've watched so much on various plants that they bleed together. But yes, lots of plants out there to help with all kinds of issues. I will try to think to look in the book I recently got for Father's day and see if it has a section on pokeweed.

 

Real world experience; yes.

It spreads like wildfire & creates nasty rashes, I have spent many hours spraying it the last few years.

As far as medicinal I have no experience, this is the first I have heard of it.

I will check into the benefits for arthritis since my mother & sister suffer from it.

Thanks for the info.

 

My MawMaw used to cook and eat it. Something like collard greens. About the only thing i remember her saying about it was you have to pick it while it's still young otherwise it becomes poisonous. Don't know how true that is but she would pick them when about a foot tall. Id think she did it cause they were poor and that stuff grows everywhere. Can't say as where i can remember eating any or remember them talking about a medicinal value.

 

Only experience I have is mowing it down. Interesting though Eric.

 

We have that crap around here. Like small trees at times.

 

I saw a YouTube video a while back where a gentleman had boiled the leaves several times, draining off the water and replacing it each time. In the end he ate the cooked greens with a little garlic, onion, salt/pepper I believe. That seems like a lot of work when I could grow spinach, cabbage or any other leafy green and cook it once. I am interested about the berries though. They're supposed to be astringent so not too pleasant to eat, but if it works for me I'll collect all I can and freeze a bunch.

 

Have some growing here. It grows fast
I’ll pass on trying to eat it. Interesting though.

 

There was a YouTube that a woman did. Had to be cut young.
If I come across or find it, will try to remember to post it.

 

YouTube channel is Insteading.
Title is Pokeweed: Poison or Good Eats.

 

Many years ago I had a neighbor that grew LOTS of garlic for arthritis. Had it hanging all over (inside) his house and hanging inside his shed. 1/2 acre lot of just garlic. He claimed it worked and worked well, but he smelled like garlic. More like reeked but I'm being nice today.

 

People might have some questions about your purple hands. It gets pretty big around here. The massive tuberous root looks like it should be edible.

 

We grew up on a farm and Dad always said DO NOT eat those berries.

Always seemed weird that Tony Joe White wrote a song about someone who did, but I guess Annie ate the leaves, not the berries.

 

Yes, leaves, not berries!

 

Interesting thread.
We've got lots of tree size pokeweed around here.
The goats won't eat it, so it must be pretty potent stuff.
I have heard tell of old timers and native americans using it for various medicinal purposes.
I could be wrong about this.....but I believe the berries are edible at some point..... maybe they have to be cooked?

 

From digging around a little further, the berries are definitely edible, in moderation. It's a bad idea to willy nilly cram handfuls of them down your throat (like any OTC medicine) According to some, if I were to overdo it I'd know it because I'd be in the bathroom with stomach problems pretty quickly. From what I saw, the key is to start out eating one berry, then the next day have two, then three, etc. Once you're up to half a dozen that's supposed to be all you'll need to treat arthritis. I'm gonna look into it more. The berries won't be ripe for a few more weeks anyway.

 

I have "The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies". Just looked, pokeweed is not in here. I'm kinda surprised, this book is full of various herbs, plants, weeds, trees and fungus that have medicinal uses. But in the Appendix, "Arthritis" has about 60 pages referenced. I can try to list some if you're interested.

 

Thanks, I think I'm going to order that book for myself

 

By Nicole Apelian and Claude Davis. I had been thinking about ordering it for a while. Wife somehow asked about it and I told her it was on my list, low and behold I got it for Father's day. I am really impressed with the amount of info in it.

Also, look up Doc Jones on Homegrown Herbalist. I watch a lot of his vids, amazi g knowledge and great presentation. I want to get his books as well.

There is a place about 45 min or so away, then lady is supposed to have a lot of dried bulk herbs and plants. I've been itching to go there and grab some stuff to start off with. I'm also planting some useful plants to have around. And amazing how many are growing all around me in the wild!