Poke root herb

This herbaceous plant is a native to the warmer regions of America (especially Florida), Africa i and Asia. It has been introduced elsewhere, particularly in the Mediterranean region. Its generic name is derived from two Greek words: 'phyton' meaning plant and 'lac' meaning lake, referring to the purple/blue dye that flows from some of the phytolaccas when crushed. The herb was introduced to American settlers by the Red Indians, who knew it as Pocan or Coccum, and used it as an emetic for a number of problems. It acquired a reputation as a remedy for internal cancers and was called cancer root.

Species

Phytolacca Americana

(Phytolacca decandra)

Poke root

Hardy perennial, lit and spread 1.2-1.5m (4-5ft). Shallow, cup-shaped flowers, sometimes pink, Hushed white and green, borne in terminal racemes in summer. They are followed by round fleshy blackish purple berries with poisonous seeds that hang down when ripe. Oval to lance-shaped mid-green leaves, tinged purple in autumn. There is a variegated form with green and white leaves.

Phytolacca polyandra calvigera

Hardy perennial. Ht and spread 1.2m (4ft). Clusters of shallow, cup-shaped, pink flowers in summer, followed by rounded blackish berries with poisonous seeds. Have brilliant crimson stems, oval to lance-shaped, mid-green leaves that turn yellow in summer through autumn. This plant is a native of China.

Cultivation

Propagation

Seed

Sow the seeds fresh in the autumn or spring in prepared seed or plug trays. Cover with Perlite. If sown in the autumn, winter the young plants in a cold greenhouse or cold frame.  In the spring, after a period of hardening off, plant them [out in a prepared site in the 'garden, l m (3ft) apart.

Division

Both species have large root systems that can be divided either in autumn or spring.

Pests and Diseases

Largely free from pests and diseases

Maintenance

Spring: Sow seeds. Divide established plants.

Summer: Cut off the flowers if you do not want berries.

Autumn: Sow seeds. Divide established plants.

Winter: Dies back into the ground; no protection needed.

Garden cultivation

Plant poke root in sun or shade in a moist, fertile soil, sheltered from the wind. Despite its poisonous seeds, this plant can look marvelous in a garden.

Harvest

It can be used as a pot herb, the young shoots being picked in the spring. But because it is easy to confuse the identity of species, and toxicity varies among them, only do this if you really know what you are doing. So it is better to err on the side of caution and pick some nice fresh sorrel or red orach instead.

Container growing

It is a tall plant, and when in berry is sufficiently heavy to unbalance even a large pot. Keep the poisonous berries out of reach of children.

If you choose to try it, use the bark, peat, grit compost, water well during the summer months.

Medicinal

Herbalists prescribe it for the treatment of chronic rheumatism, arthritis tonsillitis, swollen glands, mumps, and mastitis.

An extract from the roots can destroy snails. This discovery is being explored in Africa as a possible means to control the disease Bilharzia.