Hi, My uncle came to our house, and he asked "Hey.. thats that plant in your garden?" then i said "uuhm.. i have no idea.. i just started growing there..." Then he said "I bet its some kinda drugs..." So, now we have a 20 dollar bet, about if that plant is a drug or not. And, i cant just say "no.. its not..." i wants to know the name, so he can look it up. img1; http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/1807/1lf7.jpg img2; http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/2945/2mb9.jpg img3; leaf closeup; http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/8962/3yd1.jpg So, can anyone help me out here, and help me make 20 dollar? Gr. and thanks in advance
Pokeweed, or Phytolacca. I don't know who wins the bet because it is a native plant used for its medicinal properties. You will have to look it up and decide if it meets your definition of a drug.
Phytolacca americana aka pokeweed. Not a drug. Though one does have to wonder why your uncle would suspicious!
Hmm... By google'ing it, i did find out its not a drug, but, some sites say its highly poisonous, while other sites say you could actually eat it... Im not sure what do beleave, but what do you say it is...? is it a eatable berry/vegetable, or is it poisonous, and should i just leave it alone? Gr.
The link to the Wikipedia entry in my previous post contains all the info on this. For the most part, poisonous. However, twice-boiled and cooked in grease, the young leaves are edible, but it is not recommended.
I am also sure that this is a kind of pokeweed (genus Phytolacca), but it is not the American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana). Phytolacca americana has usually 10 carpels per fruit which are mostly fused (for images see e. g. http://www.inmygarden.org/archives/ecogardening_great_american_perennials/pokeberry/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytolacca). The fruits of the plant that was shown in this forum have 8 carpels each and these are clearly separate. If this plant grew in Germany I'd call it Phytolacca esculenta (=Phytolacca acinosa), see e. g. http://www.boga.unibe.ch/boga/de/home/garten/waldgartenundteich/wald.html or http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Phytolacca_acinosa.JPG, but I assume that there are many more species in America. Phytolacca esculenta is somewhat weedy in Germany and it is sometimes found as a garden escape.
poke salad is a staple summer time side dish down here in the south. it is kind of like collard greens. Cooking in bacon grease is a must! My grandmother makes it, I personally don't know how she does it. I have heard that you do have to cook it a certain way for it not to be poisonous. It is good though.
Thanks Robert. With a location of "none" from the original poster, one has to assume certain things and perhaps assume wrongly (e.g., assuming the person is in North America).
No, im dutch (the nederlands) so that is next to german. and yea, this http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Phytolacca_acinosa.JPG really looks like mine. First light red, when not fully grown, then later dark purple, and full with barries. :)
actually according to wikipedia is is "poke salit" or poke salad. it has different names according to your location. where i am from it is salad. doesn't really matter as long as it tastes good.
