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Description
Pokeberry is a smooth, shiny plant arising from a large perennial
rootstock. Its stalks become purple-red with age and are usually
5 or 6 feet tall but may be as tall as 10 feet. The large
leaves, up to 4 inches wide and 10 inches long, are entire
(the edges have no notches or indentations) and alternate.
The small white or pinkish flowers are arrayed in drooping
spikes and give rise to juicy, purple-black berries.
Distribution and habitat
Pokeweed is found in the eastern two-thirds of Texas and is
reported from Maine and Ontario to Florida and California.
It usually grows in disturbed, sandy soils and is often found
in bulldozed brush piles.
Regions: 1, 2,
3, 4,
5, 6,
7, 8.
Toxic agent
Saponins are concentrated in the rootstock and young leaves
of pokeweed. All species of animals have been affected by
consumption of the plant. Pigs uprooting the plants and consuming
the rootstocks are the most likely to be poisoned. Young leaves
are eaten by humans as greens, but the water must be changed
during cooking to remove the toxins.
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Livestock signs
This plant is a gastrointestinal irritant, with clinical signs
of poisoning occurring within a few hours of consumption:
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea (sometimes with blood)
- Death
Consumption of the leaves usually produces
only a transient gastrointestinal disease in ruminants. Cattle
often consume small amounts of mature leaves with no ill effects.
Integrated management strategies
Do not place pigs in a pen containing well-established plants
with large rootstocks. Short pastures containing old brush
piles with large amounts of pokeberry and little other forage
should not be used for livestock.
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