pokeweed

This perennial plant, Phytolacca Americana, or pokeweed plant, grows wild in the eastern United States, and may reach a height of eight to 10 feet. It is strong smelling and has a poisonous root, and you can see poke salad growing out by the highway if you know what to look for. Poke salad bears small white flowers (which lack petals) in a grape-like cluster that later becomes shiny dark purple berries. These berries are believed to be toxic to humans, but are eaten by birds. (Bird poop tainted with these berries can be quite hard on your car's finish, by the way.) These berries have also been used for dye production. In addition, many a Southern child has made pokeberry mud pies to the feigned amazement of their parents. Older children take great pride in pokeberry sling shot fights.
The plant is generally poisonous, and a seasoned poke salet expert must train one in the proper usage of poke salet before one enjoys a big savory heap of this delicacy. Some rural folks claim poke salet is poisonous unless it is cooked with lots of fatback, but this has not been documented scientifically.
The fresh and very young leaves of poke salet are best to harvest for Granny to cook. The leaves are carefully and thoroughly washed then boiled until they are tender. The liquid (which is also believed to be poisonous) is drained and the leaves are rinsed again. When poke salet is cooked, it resembles spinach and tastes like asparagus. It is a very nutritious greens dish. I am posting because Pea has ask me what poke berries are. we harvest poke weed in the spring and cook in boiling water then fry in bacon fat. the old timers believed that poke salad was a blood thinner and was good for you in the spring. this is good served with corn bread.