Comments on: Wicked Beauty

By: Soapwort Hiding in Plain Sight: Wildflower Wednesday — Cold Climate Gardening

Soapwort Hiding in Plain Sight: Wildflower Wednesday — Cold Climate Gardening — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:49:58 +0000

[...] wonders to moderate the growing conditions. I was walking along the shoreline, marveling at the jewelweed I saw, not because it was a prime specimen–on the contrary, it looked rather beat [...]

By: K Stewart

K Stewart — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:49:22 +0000

Thanks to all who wrote to me about pokeweed. As you can tell, I have only recently begun to attempt to garden so I didn’t recognize it.

Though I hate to deprive the robins of a good berry binge, I have an infant grandchild and am glad I removed the plants before they became well established, if they are poisonous.

Kay

By: Apple

Apple — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:35:17 +0000

I’m quite happy to let pokeweed grow at the margins of my property, as the birds love it and it is a native plant. It is hard to dig out. Right now I am seeing tons of seedlings in the garden – now is the time to pull them, while the root is still only carrot size – the tap root can be huge on an older plant.
.-= Apple´s last blog ..Bus Notes =-.

By: Patsy Bell Hobson

Patsy Bell Hobson — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:41:36 +0000

Weeds or wild flowers, who’s to say. It always strikes fear in my heart to see a “new” ornamental at the nursery that I have spent a lifetime ripping out of my gardens by the handful.

By: Mr. McGregor's Daughter

Mr. McGregor's Daughter — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:27:23 +0000

Although Pokeweed is poisonous, the young leaves can be boiled and used to make Poke Salad. I've never made it, as it is a more Southern Dish. .-= Mr. McGregor's Daughter´s last blog ..If There Are "Asters," It Must Be September =-.

By: C.L. Fornari

C.L. Fornari — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:11:17 +0000

Pokeweed, decidedly – funny, one person’s invasive is another’s valuable plant. I LOVE pokeweed! Pink stems, bright green leaves, dark black berries and white flowers all at the same time – this is a 1940′s drapery fabric plant and I don’t know why everyone doesn’t want some in their garden. At Poison Ivy Acres we have an area where I let them grow – I call it Pokeweed Place. I pull them out of other areas when they are young, before they grow roots the size of most tree trunks.

They sell these in garden centers in Great Britain.

By: Hoosier Gardener

Hoosier Gardener — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:54:21 +0000

It sounds like it could be a pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), a native perennial. Robins love the berries…they act like drunken fools.

The plant is poisonous, but some cultures revere the small leaves of spring growth as a green, cooked like spinach.

It does have a long taproot and a hollow stem that is reddish. The berries dangle from a reddish purple stem. It is appreciated in some gardens for its architectural structure and color.

Here’s a link:
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/phytolaccaamer.html
.-= Hoosier Gardener´s last blog ..Spring bulb planting tips =-.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:53:21 +0000

OK, just replying to a Twitter post here and haven’t actually read the blog post, but this sounds very much like plain ol’ pokeweed. I don’t believe it’s rhizomatous, but it fits in every other way, and thankfully, it’s at least a native!

(And please forgive me, Kathy’s blog commenter, if you know full well what pokeweed is and I’m completely wrong!)
.-= Andrew´s last blog ..Oakleaf Green Hits Newsstands Nationwide in Fine Gardening =-.

By: Kevin Campbell

Kevin Campbell — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:49:08 +0000

Sounds like Pokeweed by your description.

By: rebecca sweet

rebecca sweet — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:41:29 +0000

What beautiful photos – Out here in California, I’m not familiar with most of the weeds listed, so they just look like gorgeous plants to me! If I saw them in a nursery, I’d be the first to buy them! I wonder why our weeds don’t look nearly as beautiful??……..
.-= rebecca sweet´s last blog ..Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – September 2009 =-.