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You are here: Home / Field Guide / Wildflowers / 5 Regular Parts / (3) Alternate Leaves / (2) Leaves Entire / Pokeweed: Poison, Edible, Medicinal & Other Uses

Pokeweed: Poison, Edible, Medicinal & Other Uses

March 2, 2016 by Mike 8 Comments

Pokeweed finPokeweed back finPokeweed, Phytolacca americana, is a poisonous plant but if it is prepared properly it can be edible. It has been used by both American Indian’s and in western herbal medicine as an emetic, cathartic, narcotic and alternative. The berries were used to make dyes, ink and necklaces.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your powder dry.

BLOG SIG

Pokeweed Sources:

Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.

Brill, Steve. Wild Edibles Plus. Computer Software. WinterRoot LLC. Version 1.5. 2012. Web. Feb. 15, 2014.

Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 1471-1475

Fernald, Merritt Lyndon & Alfred Charles Kinsey. Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. 1996. Print. pg. 185-187

Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 65-66

Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 50

Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 142

Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 397-398

Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 200-201

Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 46-47

United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.

 

Filed Under: (2) Leaves Entire, August, Blog, Edible Wildflowers, July, June, Medicinal Wildflowers, October, Pink, Poisonous Plants, September, White Tagged With: 532, alternative, American Indian Remedies Phytolacca americana, American Indian Remedies Pokeweed, arthritis, back to the land, Blood Medicine, bruises, bunions, bushcraft, Bushcraft Phytolacca americana, Bushcraft Pokeweed, Bushman's Wildflower Guide, Cathartic, Cherokee, chest colds, dela, Delaware, Delaware Oklahoma, Dermatological aid, diarrhea, eastern wildflowers, edible, edible berries, Edible Phytolacca americana, Edible Pokeweed, edible shoots, Edible Wild Plants Phytolacca americana, emetic, Ethnobotany, Ethnobotany Phytolacca americana, Ethnobotany Pokeweed, field guide, food, hemorrhoids, homesteaders, Iroquois, Leaves Entire, mahuna, medicinal, Medicinal Phytolacca americana, Medicinal Pokeweed, medicinal roots, Medicine Phytolacca americana, Medicine Pokeweed, Micmac, Mohegan, narcotic, National Park, nature, neuralgic pain, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, Ohio, P2F, phytolacca americana, Plant ID Phytolacca americana, Plant ID Pokeweed, plant identification, Plant Identification Phytolacca americana, Plant Identification Pokeweed, Plight to Freedom, poison, Poison Phytolacca americana, Poison Pokeweed, poisonous, pokeweed, prepper, rappahannock, rheumatism, scouting, seminole, skin lump, sores, sprains, survival, Survival food Phytolacca americana, Survival food Pokeweed, Survival Medicine Phytolacca americana, Survival Medicine Pokeweed, Survival Plants Phytolacca americana, Survival Plants Pokeweed, survivalist, swelling, swollen joints, warning, warts, wild edible, Wild Edible Plants Pokeweed, Wild Edibles Phytolacca americana, Wild Edibles Pokeweed, wild medicinal, Wild Medicine Phytolacca americana, Wild Medicine Pokeweed, Wilderness, wildflower

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Comments

  1. Sarah Alex says

    March 5, 2016 at 6:06 AM

    I think this site has got some very excellent info for everyone …

    Reply
    • Mike says

      March 5, 2016 at 1:19 PM

      Thank you for the kind words. I put a lot of time and effort into my work.

      Reply
  2. Carol Traughber says

    March 12, 2016 at 9:48 PM

    The seeds possess known hallucinogenic alkaloids, especially harmine and harmaline. The esteem in which the peoples of Asia hold the plant is so extraordinary that it might indicate a former religious use as an hallucinogen, but the purposeful use of the plant to induce visions has not yet been established through the literature or field work.

    Reply
    • Mike says

      March 12, 2016 at 11:05 PM

      That’s very interesting and insightful. I had not looked into the Asian perspective of this plant species and I’m glad you brought that up, that is something I should look into more. I appreciate the information, thank you.

      Reply
  3. Tuesday says

    August 20, 2019 at 10:56 AM

    Thank you for the very comprehensive information. I would love to keep this volunteer weed in my garden with all of it’s medicinal properties , and try some of my ancestors cures; but alas with my baby granddaughter I think it’s best if I remove it. Do you have any know of any precautions I should take while removing it?? Thank you and many blessings

    Reply
    • Mike says

      August 20, 2019 at 11:46 AM

      I’m glad you liked the info. I don’t know of any other precautions to be concerned about, but I would use garden gloves just incase.

      Reply
  4. Tuesday says

    August 20, 2019 at 11:52 AM

    Thanks so much for the timely informative response!

    Reply
  5. gus ramirez says

    September 11, 2019 at 1:39 AM

    Gustavo : My plant grew wildly in my yard next to my Black Berry plant. How can I use this plant for chronic pain that I suffer with for 30 years. Its stated that the seeds are poisonous. Thank you for your work.

    Reply

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