pokeweed in Niagara Falls Canada, seed probably brought in by birds, not common in this area, at least none I have noticed
I have Poke Weed in my yard too. It is supposed to be poisonous but it isn't really. Southern folks have eaten it for a hundred years maybe more. You cut it when it first sprouts. Par boil a couple of times. Add it to Turnip Greens or other greens. Tastes good. Have to have quite a bit to cook. Likes to grow in the woods. Likes shade and water.
I let the plant grow just for show and a lot of people don't know what it is. It is about to flower and then will have dark purple berries. I would not eat them. Look up "Poke Salet" that is the correct spelling. Here we call it "Poke Salad". I live in Texas, zone 7. The plant will freeze but come up again and maybe not in the same spot.
Adairia
Poke Weed grows here in Indiana, zone 5. It dies back during the winter but it always comes back in the spring though not always in the same location. Personally I find it to be an attractive plant, gets quite tall and purple berries.
It definitely IS poisonous unless harvested when young and properly prepared, including discarding the initial cooking water!
It is called Poke Salad or Poke Salet, depending on who you talk to. There was a song written many moons ago titled 'Poke Salet Annie' - a link to the lyrics is somewhere around here (I dug 'em up for justmelisa a while back :)
Poke Salad as we call it in Jones, AL grows very well here and I can testify that if cooked correctly tastes good. It has a strong taste somewhat to that of spinach. Use only the fresh new shoots and remove the water used in cookikng two or three times and season like other greens.
We have them growing in the woods nearby. Every year one or several try to grow in my yard. This one as you can see is very tall. It has a flower spray that will soon become the ink berry.
