There are quite a few types of pokeweed. The Asian pokeweed is the most common in our country. The plants grow wild. As a rule, they are not very popular and are even on the black list in some European countries - on the red list in Germany.
The pokeweed looks great, especially its inflorescences. However, it is poisonous and it is spreading rapidly. The American pokeweed is even more poisonous than the Asian one. In the Asian variant, the fruit stands are upright, while in the American variant they hang down on the perennial.
The Asian pokeweed, native to China and Japan, in India and naturalized here, is also called edible pokeweed or pokeweed. It contains saponins - potential toxins - in the leaves, fruits and roots. As if it wasn't difficult enough for parents or collectors, the common ones Poisonous plants to get to know with us, there are also plants that develop poisonous and harmless specimens within a species. The pokeweed is one of them.
Kinds of pokeweed
The genus Phytolacca, pokeweed, consists of 25 species, some of which are cross-named with different synonyms. None of these species is native to Europe, but two of them have been naturalized here: The Asian pokeweed (
Phytolacca acinosa or esculanta) and the American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L. or Phytolacca decandra).The Asian pokeweed, native to China and Japan, in India and naturalized with us, it is also called edible pokeweed or pokeweed. It contains saponins in the leaves, fruits and roots.
We also know saponins from legumes, they also come in asparagus and beetroot, they contain sugar beets and various medicinal plants such as daisies and chestnuts. They can often be used as pharmaceutically active substances, so active substances from the roots of Phytolacca acinosa are supposed to reduce edema in current medicine. But saponins are also potentially toxic whenever you ingest too much or eat the wrong parts of a plant. Different concentrations are found in different parts of the plant. Most of the active ingredient is contained in the seed, followed by the root, the leaf, the stem, the unripe fruit and the ripe fruit.
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L. or Phytolacca decandra) today also grows in Europe, here too the whole fruit contains saponins. But that's not all, the fruit also contains betacyans. Betacyans are alkaloids that are generally toxic. The saponins in the American variety are also said to be more aggressive. The active ingredients of this plant are also used in homeopathy, but they are certainly not for self-experiment.
There are several other species of pokeweed, but we will only come across them in distant countries (from South America to Southeast Asia to Ethiopia and New Zealand).
The pokeweed in the garden
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the pokeweed and its name. Sometimes the Asian should be edible, sometimes the American, sometimes the Phytolacca acinosa is referred to as the American pokeweed.
You should only plant the Asian variant in the garden; you can first distinguish it by paying close attention to the Latin name when buying. The American pokeweed also looks a little different, it has smooth leaves and smooth fruits, the fruit clusters of which stand upright. The Asian pokeweed, on the other hand, has multiple notched leaves that look slightly wrinkled. The fruits have many small segments, the grapes usually hang down.
The pokeweed needs little care, as it is used to poor wild growth conditions. It is only grateful for a good cover in really cold winters. It is more difficult to get rid of pokeweeds that you have sown yourself; they develop large tubers that have to be removed very carefully.
Use of pokeweed
- With the Asian pokeweed, you should also make sure that children do not eat too many berries. Vomiting, stomach and intestinal problems, diarrhea and cramps could result. For adults and older children, up to 10 fully ripe berries are considered harmless. But they shouldn't taste very tasty anyway.
- If you disagree on this, you can heat the berries before enjoying them; saponins are rendered harmless by boiling them. But since most of the saponin sits in the seeds, either very thorough heating is necessary or it must be crushed so that the cooking water can quickly get to the saponin in the seeds. From eating the young leaves as spinach-like vegetables is not recommended today because of the saponin content.
- If you have completely lost your appetite, you can still use the pokeweed for coloring. With the help of the contained betanine, which is also used for coloring yoghurt, chewing gum or jam under the E number 162, can Dye fabric or wool red. However, not lightfast, so the color fading must be expected.
Use against snails
- To the Control of snails the seeds and roots of pokeweed are used.
- They are boiled and used, dried and ground.
- Add 4 tablespoons of ground berries to one liter of water.
- When watering, the saponins contained in the plant decompose the mucous membranes of snails and their eggs.
- At the same time, the pH of the soil increases.
- Caution! Contact can cause severe allergies in sensitive people. Always work with gloves and avoid skin contact!
Care of pokeweed
The pokeweed is not very demanding. It often sows itself in the garden, becomes of Birdsn common.
- Location - sunny to partially shaded
- Plant substrate - humus, somewhat sandy soil, evenly moist to moist, not too dry
- plants - Recommended planting distance 80 to 100 cm, particularly good effect as a solitary plant
- Watering and fertilizing - Keep the soil evenly slightly moist, pond water is ideal, organic fertilizer is suitable vegetablesfertilizer
- wintering - hardy in mild locations. Otherwise, some seeds are guaranteed to sprout and you have a new plant. In late autumn the above-ground parts dry up. You just cut them off. Cover the plant (root) in winter!
- Cut - does not have to be cut. If you do not want new plants in the garden, those that have faded must be removed regularly!
- Multiply - by sowing, succeeds easily or by dividing the roots. The plant sows itself abundantly, which can make it a nuisance.
Conclusion
The pokeweed is quite new in German gardens, but is enjoying increasing popularity. It is quite a large, showy plant that works best as a solitaire. You rarely get them to buy. Since birds spread the seeds everywhere, they pop up surprisingly in many gardens. If the seed heads are not removed before they are ripe, the pokeweed will spread freely. Be careful when you have children. The plant and especially the berries are poisonous. Better when planting and handling the plants gloves wear!