Macro What's this berry called?

What's this berry called? · 02:02 PM

Even as a kid, we would never eat these berries in fear they were poisonous - anyone know their name ?

wildlifephotog · 08-26-2014, 02:17 PM

Poke berries. That is a Pokeweed plant. The berries are poisonous. Leaves can only be eaten very carefully.

sherrvonne · 08-26-2014, 03:06 PM

Poke salad plant, I have eaten it before, like spinach, use the younger leaves, bring water to boil, pour off, maybe repeat, then eat. (Cook like you would greens)

lesmore49 · 08-26-2014, 03:41 PM

Originally posted by wildlifephotog

Poke berries. That is a Pokeweed plant. The berries are poisonous. Leaves can only be eaten very carefully.

I thought they were blueberries. Glad I read your post.

Michael Piziak · 08-26-2014, 05:44 PM

Originally posted by Michael Piziak

Even as a kid, we would never eat this berries in fear they were poisonous - anyone know their name ?

Thanks so much for the information. What do you make of the fruit fly on the poke berry? Perhaps these are poisonous to humans but not to fruit flies ? A species specific edible plant?

---------- Post added 08-26-14 at 05:45 PM ----------

Originally posted by sherrvonne

Poke salad plant, I have eaten it before, like spinach, use the younger leaves, bring water to boil, pour off, maybe repeat, then eat. (Cook like you would greens)

But of course only do this to the leaves right? Avoid poisonous berries at all cost right ?

photolady95 · 08-26-2014, 05:53 PM

Yes, young leaves usually taken in the spring. Absolutely avoid the berries, very poisonous.

Poke salad as I used to eat it, was mixing egg in with young leaves and frying it like scrambled eggs. Very good. Also, as was mentioned even young leaves need to be boiled in water and water drained off. I always had to do that twice.

CreationBear · 08-26-2014, 06:01 PM

Originally posted by sherrvonne

bring water to boil, pour off, maybe repeat

Definitely repeat...but fried up with some fatback and scrambled eggs, there's nothing better.

Michael Piziak · 08-26-2014, 06:31 PM

p.s. I just read on Wikipedia that while poisonous to mammals (humans are mammal), birds eat them. Which may explain how the fruit fly is on them - perhaps not poisonous to fruit flies either.

magkelly · 08-27-2014, 05:07 AM

Poke berries can actually ferment a bit after they are ripe. When I was a kid the birds would eat them and get roaring drunk. The cats had a field day. I had to keep them in just to keep them from slaughtering every bird in the yard just because they could so easily....

Michael Piziak · 08-27-2014, 11:56 AM

Just watched a video on PokeBerry and it said a fun fact is that the U.S. Constitution was written from the ink of the Poke Berry

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08-26-2014, 02:17 PM	#2
wildlifephotog Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: USA Posts: 924	Poke berries. That is a Pokeweed plant. The berries are poisonous. Leaves can only be eaten very carefully.

08-26-2014, 03:06 PM	#3
sherrvonne Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,975	Poke salad plant, I have eaten it before, like spinach, use the younger leaves, bring water to boil, pour off, maybe repeat, then eat. (Cook like you would greens)

08-26-2014, 03:41 PM	#4
lesmore49 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Western Canada Posts: 12,343	Originally posted by wildlifephotog Poke berries. That is a Pokeweed plant. The berries are poisonous. Leaves can only be eaten very carefully. I thought they were blueberries. Glad I read your post.

08-26-2014, 05:44 PM	#5
Michael Piziak Closed Account Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,815 Original Poster	Originally posted by Michael Piziak Even as a kid, we would never eat this berries in fear they were poisonous - anyone know their name ? Thanks so much for the information. What do you make of the fruit fly on the poke berry? Perhaps these are poisonous to humans but not to fruit flies ? A species specific edible plant? ---------- Post added 08-26-14 at 05:45 PM ---------- Originally posted by sherrvonne Poke salad plant, I have eaten it before, like spinach, use the younger leaves, bring water to boil, pour off, maybe repeat, then eat. (Cook like you would greens) But of course only do this to the leaves right? Avoid poisonous berries at all cost right ?

08-26-2014, 05:53 PM	#6
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Yes, young leaves usually taken in the spring. Absolutely avoid the berries, very poisonous. Poke salad as I used to eat it, was mixing egg in with young leaves and frying it like scrambled eggs. Very good. Also, as was mentioned even young leaves need to be boiled in water and water drained off. I always had to do that twice.

08-26-2014, 06:01 PM	#7
CreationBear Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 2,415	Originally posted by sherrvonne bring water to boil, pour off, maybe repeat *Definitely* repeat...but fried up with some fatback and scrambled eggs, there's nothing better.

08-26-2014, 06:31 PM	#8
Michael Piziak Closed Account Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,815 Original Poster	p.s. I just read on Wikipedia that while poisonous to mammals (humans are mammal), birds eat them. Which may explain how the fruit fly is on them - perhaps not poisonous to fruit flies either.

08-27-2014, 05:07 AM	#9
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	Poke berries can actually ferment a bit after they are ripe. When I was a kid the birds would eat them and get roaring drunk. The cats had a field day. I had to keep them in just to keep them from slaughtering every bird in the yard just because they could so easily....

08-27-2014, 11:56 AM	#10
Michael Piziak Closed Account Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,815 Original Poster	Just watched a video on PokeBerry and it said a fun fact is that the U.S. Constitution was written from the ink of the Poke Berry