Pokeweed * Combat successfully or use against snails

the essentials in brief

• pokeweed is an imposing, poisonous perennial that aggressively spreads in the garden with invasive root growth.
• Fight pokeweed without chemicals: dig up roots, weed young plants, clean out withered flowers, cut off infructescences in good time.
• Ground pokeweed seeds as a pesticide fight snails because the toxins contained decompose the mucous membranes.
• Traditional pokeweed recipes report on the preparation of the leaves as a vegetable.
• Well-known pokeweed varieties are Phytolacca americana (American pokeweed), Phytolacca acinosa syn. Phytolacca esculenta (Asiatic pokeweed) and more recently Phytolacca dioica (Argentine pokeweed).

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Phytolacca
• Growth type: perennial
• Root: taproot
• Toxicity: Toxic+
• Growth: invasive
• Growth height: 100 - 300 cm
• Flower shape: candle-shaped raceme
• Flowering period: June to September
• Fruit: berry
• Location: sunny to semi-shady
• Hardiness: hardy to -23.4° C
• Use: natural garden

root

The pokeweed conquers its territory with a fleshy, turnip-like, multi-headed root up to 50 centimeters deep. Lateral roots that are up to 200 centimeters long branch off from this main root. From this root system, the perennial draws its strength for a man-high growth. Thus, the pokeweed belongs to the ranks of the largest perennials and moves at eye level poisonous giant hogweed After the first frost, a phytolacca retreats to its rootstock while the parts of the plant above the ground die off.

toxicity

The pokeweed is permeated by various toxins. The effect of toxic saponins is a strong irritation of the mucous membranes. Toxic lectins cause massive stomach and intestinal problems as well as circulatory fluctuations and respiratory arrest. The most toxic are the roots and seeds. This is followed by unripe, still green berries and shoots and shoots. Young leaves and fully ripe berries contain the lowest proportion of toxins. Cooked leaves and ripe berries of a Phytolacca acinosa are edible for adults.

Of the two most common pokeweed species in Central Europe, the American pokeberry (Phytolacca americana) much more poisonous than the pokeweed (Phytolacca acinosa), also known as Edible pokeweed. For laypeople, both Phytolacca look confusingly similar. The only distinguishing feature are the inflorescences. The highly poisonous American pokeweed can be recognized by its arching, overhanging flower spikes in summer and the sloping infructescence in autumn. The more harmless Asian pokeweed, on the other hand, boasts of tightly upright inflorescences and infructescences.

Asian pokeweed up close

growth

With an invasive urge to spread, the pokeweed quickly causes disillusionment in the garden. Two merciless propagation strategies make the introduced plant the dreaded one neophytes. A single pokeweed produces up to 32,000 seeds. Birds, wind and weather ensure that the seed is distributed over a large area. Furthermore, the pokeweed releases toxins through its roots, which slow down or completely prevent the growth of neighboring plants. Where the neophyte has run wild, dense, dominant stands develop within a short period of time, crowding out native wild perennials.

use

Natural hobby gardeners appreciate the pokeweed as a magnificent perennial that transforms inhospitable locations into enchanted places. Despite all the negative properties, the natural beauty scores with various possible uses. The following table provides an overview of how a phytolacca is useful in a natural garden:

An authentic wild perennial character makes the pokeweed a popular ornamental plant in nature and cottage gardens. The picturesque inflorescences are a swarmed bee pasture. In fall and winter, nutritious berries fill snarling bellies of birds. Natural hobby gardeners swear by pokeweed as an effective means of combating snails. Cooked leaves taste like spinach. The dark red pokeweed has now had its day as a dye for wool, ink or wine. Its use as a homeopathic remedy has been criticized because of its unproven effect against sore throat, flu, scabies or rheumatism.

Fight pokeweed - this is how it works without chemicals

Hobby gardeners struggle with the unbridled growth of the roots, which spread in all directions. The green invasion is exacerbated by aggressive self-seeding throughout the garden. In the family garden, the poisonous pokeweed is an uninvited guest who has secretly smuggled in and entices children with dark red berries into risky snacking. These are important reasons to put a stop to the unleashed growth. How to fight a pokeweed with natural methods:

• Seedlings and young plants like weed weed
• Dig up or hook established pokeweed with the roots
• Cut off wilted inflorescences before seed formation
• Cut off infructescences with unripe or ripe berries
• Important: Wear gloves, long-sleeved clothing and safety goggles

Dispose of plant parts properly

Non-flowering, above-ground plant parts of a pokeweed can be disposed of in the compost. Please throw away roots, inflorescences and infructescences in the organic waste. The pokeweed owes its reputation as a neophyte to the fact that the perennial sprouts happily from tiny root remains and seeds. Roots and seeds often survive the decomposition process in the compost heap unscathed. Hidden in the organic fertilizer, the pokeweed finds its way back into the bed.

digression

Snacking prohibited

Use pokeweed against snails - instructions

With its poisonous seeds, the pokeweed acts as an effective means of combating snails. Saponins attack the pests' mucous membranes and decompose eggs laid in the soil. The following brief instructions explain step by step how to use the pokeweed against snails:

1. Put on gloves and goggles
2. Crush 4 tbsp seeds in a mortar
3. Alternatively: Crush 8 tablespoons unripe or ripe berries
4. Pour 1 liter of rainwater into a tub
5. Stir in crushed seeds or berry pulp
6. Leave for 24-48 hours
7. Apply liquid repeatedly in the bed with a watering can
8. Important: Thoroughly clean the mortar, tub and watering can
9. Caution: Do not use pokeweed against snails in the garden ducks

Gentle alternatives replace aggressive pokeweed

In the animal-friendly hobby garden, no snail is sentenced to death by the pokeweed. In fact, the toxic saponins cause an excruciating agony as the toxins are slow to attack the mucous membranes. Proven alternatives drive away the voracious pests never to be seen again. How to fight snails the gentle way:

• Protect endangered individual plants with snail collars
• Border the salad bed with a snail fence
• tiger slug settle as natural predators of slugs
• Create hiking barriers made of pine needles or grit

Pokeweed recipes - tips for amateur cooks

If the Asian pokeweed spreads exuberantly in the garden, hobby gardeners who are keen to experiment make a virtue out of necessity. In the green leaf explosion, followers of simple home cooking see a promising vegetable. Those who know their way around can trick the toxins in the leaves. Be inspired by this pokeweed recipe for your own culinary variations:

Enjoy Asian pokeweed as a leafy vegetable

The young, unfolded leaves are said to have a mild taste of spinach or asparagus. Only the foliage of an edible pokeweed, also known as Asian or Indian pokeweed (trademark: upright inflorescences and fruit clusters) can be used as an ingredient in a recipe. The following recipe guarantees wholesomeness and idiosyncratic culinary delights:

1. Collect 1 kg of fresh pokeweed leaves and rinse thoroughly under running water
2. Dice the onions and sauté in butter in a saucepan
3. Add pokeweed leaves
4. Pour in water until the leaves are covered
5. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently
6. Pour off the cooking water (contains the last residue of toxins)
7. Fill the pot with fresh water
8. Cook on low flame for another 20 minutes
9. Drain again and simmer in fresh water for 20 minutes
10. Season and taste at your own discretion
11. Serve hot with boiled potatoes

Popular Varieties

The genus pokeweed gives the hobby gardener the following decorative varieties with specific location preferences:

• Phytolacca acinosa: Asian pokeweed thrives in sandy-dry soil in a sunny to partially shaded location. White candle blossoms in summer. Edible in small quantities, dark red berries in autumn.
• Phytolacca esculenta: Synonym for Phytolacca acinosa.
• Phytolacca americana: American pokeweed for nutrient-rich, fresh, moist soil in a partially shaded location in regions with mild winters. Whitish to pale pink flower clusters from July. Dark red, non-edible, black-purple colored berries from September.
• Phytolacca dioica: Argentinian pokeweed, perennial, not hardy. Height of growth 1.50 to 1.80. As a container plant for the balcony or temperate conservatory.

FAQ

Is pokeweed poisonous to dogs?

Yes, all parts of pokeweed are poisonous to dogs. A great danger comes from the roots because they contain the highest concentration of poison. The poisonous seeds in unripe or ripe berries should not be underestimated. If your four-legged darling nibbles on dug up roots or swallows a few berries, he has to pay for it with tormenting symptoms of poisoning. There is a risk of nausea, cramps, vomiting, circulatory collapse and even respiratory arrest.

What can you dye with pokeweed juice?

Traditionally, dark red pokeweed juice was used to dye ink, wool, silk, leather, basketry and cosmetics. In earlier times, wine, liqueur and pastries were also colored with the deep red berry juice. Due to the associated risk of severe to fatal poisoning, pokeweed has had its day as a dye. It is said that wine adulteration enraged the Sun King Louis XIV so much that he banned the coloring of red wine with pokeweed on pain of death.

Which location is suitable for a pokeweed?

The pokeweed shows its most beautiful side in a sunny to partially shaded location. The Asian pokeweed (Phytolacca acinosa) prefers a permeable, sandy-dry soil in the rock garden or gravel bed. American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) thrives in nutrient-rich, fresh, moist soil. Ideally, plant a pokeweed with it root barrier, so that the invasive urge to spread does not cause you any problems. As a container plant, the cold-sensitive Argentine pokeweed gives the conservatory an exotic flair in a sunny to shaded location with temperatures of at least 10° Celsius.

Are all parts of a pokeweed poisonous?

The entire pokeweed is potentially poisonous. Due to different poison concentrations, some parts of the plant are suitable for consumption in small quantities. Young leaves are primarily edible after a cooking time of at least 15 minutes. Healthy adults can eat 5 to a maximum of 10 fully ripe fruits from the dark red berries of the Asian pokeweed. For children and pets, the pokeweed is basically poisonous and under no circumstances edible.

Is the pokeweed hardy?

Yes, the pokeweed is a hardy perennial. The degree of frost hardiness depends on the species in question. An Asian pokeweed (Phytolacca acinosa) is hardy to - 23° Celsius. The American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), which thrives in wine-growing regions with mild winters, is more heat-loving. New on the market is the frost-sensitive Argentine pokeweed (Phytolacca dioica), which goes limp at temperatures below 10° Celsius.

Where do overgrown pokeweed grow?

The pokeweed was introduced as an ornamental plant at the beginning of the 17th century. century. Since then, the perennial has spread as a garden refugee throughout Europe. Wild pokeweed thrives in forest clearings, at the edge of the forest, on ruderal areas, on the banks of water, along the side of the road, on fields and landfills.