I have a plant I need to identify. Go to http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll16/lizmerrill/
to see the photos of the plant. It has small purple berries, that when broken yield a bright blood red juice.
The plant could be medicinial. Anyone can help?
While it is used medicinally and even eaten (when young and prepared CORRECTLY), I would take care. The plant is toxic, including the berries. Unless you REALLY know what you are doing, please avoid trying to use the toxic botanicals yourself.
By the way, poke is a spectacular looking native plant in the right location.
Anyone from the South knows that poke is delicious. In Louisiana it is known as poke salad. The first shoots of Spring are eagerly awaited and regarded as a Spring tonic. Young shoots can be steamed or lightly boiled and are ussually eaten with a bit of the vinegar hot peppers were pickled in. Older growth should be boiled and the first water darined off then boiled again in fresh water. An interesting side note is that the berries are used as a wine red dye and during the Civil war the soldiers in the field made ink of the berries so they could write home.
I have never seen it that large. I have eaten the tender young shoots, very different taste, I was told that when it was older it was toxic so never tried anything past the tender shoots. Thanks for all the information. Paul
