Pokeweed is an herb that grows native to this area. The white flowers are followed by purplish-black berries that are popular with birds.
All parts of pokeweed are poisonous to mammals but the leaves can be boiled multiple times to reduce the toxin. The result is Polk Salad – an old staple in southern cuisine. Some say that pokeweed is no longer poisonous when fried in bacon grease.
The pokeweed berry ink was once used by Native Americans to decorate their horses and I used it to dye all kinds of things when I was growing up as well.
This plant gained special attention when the song "Polk Salad Annie" was recorded by Elvis Presley. The song was written by Tony Joe White.
Some pokeweed cultivars are grown specifically for their berries and are used for their ornamental value.
