Who doesn't recognize this pretty plant? Anyone? Yes, I'll bet there are many reading this who do NOT recognize it or who have not ever even heard of Poke Weed-Salat. That would generally be the northerners.
I was a northerner who had never heard of Poke Salat when I initially moved here in 2001. My mother-in-law told me what it was. She is a southerner, born and bred. She probably thought I was pretty dumb, not knowing or ever hearing of poke weed?!
Boy, what a pretty plant with those red stems and black berries, I thought. That was then, this is now. And I have changed my thoughts, considerably.
I do still think poke weed is a pretty plant. It really is. A big, prolific, red stemmed, big leaved, hard to get rid of plant. Oh yeah, it is edible. Did I say it is edible? Only if you eat the leaves and only when they are young, very young. According to the following website: http://kaweahoaks.com/html/poke.html, poke weed is an herb. It's latin name is Phytolacca americana, and it is native to the eastern United States. That must be why it adapts so well in my garden.
Lola tells me you pick the leaves young and boil them three times, changing the water each time. During the last boil you can add seasonings to the water and treat the poke salat leaves just like any other greens, such as turnip greens. I have never been brave enough to eat this plant though it grows well in my garden. Since I am a woman who agrees to try everything at least once, I will try poke weed at some point. Probably when my mother-in-law cooks it. (If she ever does)
I sometimes let poke weed grow for awhile. This plant emerges early in the season and grows rapidly. I have seen it growing to over 6 feet tall! But it only reached that stage prior to me moving in to this house; when the yard was very neglected. I pretty much stay on it now. When I am kind and let it grow, it will only grow until my other plants fill in and only as long as it is does not have ripe berries. The berries are a problem because the birds eat them, then disperse them all around the area. I can't figure that one out since the berries are toxic. Normally, birds and humans can eat pretty much the same berries.
Once you have it in your garden it can be difficult to get rid of. I have found it fairly easy to pull when it is young, but it does return from the roots each year. Those roots are the bear. They are hard to pull once it is firmly established and has gained some size. Even Roundup doesn't always kill it. Sigh.
So, for all you Northerners, what do you think of our Poke Salat? Like Lola and Nina said, anyone from Tennessee knows what it is. Mr. Fix-it's co-worker, Robert, told a funny story about Poke Salat. We were all meeting at a local pizza joint; which was very crowded. The parking lot was over full. As Robert waited for a parking place, he was incredulous. He actually had to wait for two women to fawn over a Poke Salat weed growing in the cracks of the parking lot! The friend said, "Come on, it's just stupid Poke Salat!" He couldn't believe people would find it fascinating AND make him wait for their parking space. To be in awe of a common weed growing in a parking lot?! Obviously he is from the south (Kentucky), and the two ladies had to be northerners. Being a southerner, he never let on to them he was a bit mad about having to wait.
in the garden....hunting down those ole poke weeds.
I had some strange looking plant growing in the Butterfly Island of my Georgia Garden. It was out of the way so I decided to allow it to grow and see what happens with it.
Here is a close up of a leaf. I kind of wonder if it could be Poke Salad also known as Poke Weed? I looked it up and it does resemble Poke Salad but I am not sure. Any guesses? 
It looks like it is growing straight up into another world. Jack and the Beanstalk come to mind. I wonder WHERE IS JACK, In the Garden...
What does a picture of a big weed have to do with the garden tour you ask? The above Verbascum thapsus, aka as Common Mullein was a big hit with visitors on this past Saturday. All wanted to know what it was and how could they get it.
The bloom is rather striking. My Nashville blogging friend Gail posted about this very weed a few weeks back and yesterday. You can check her post here. This weed makes a good tea which helps with congestion. Additionally, a little known bit of folklore with this plant is that it is sometimes known as the 'King's Candelabra'. If you soak the dried flower stalk in tallow or something similar, it will make a good torch. Some of the flowers in the garden last year looked just like a candelabra. This is a very neat weed. It attracted attention because it was different and quite large, over six feet tall. I think it is happy in my garden.
The leaves of this plants are huge. They are fuzzy and soft and persist quite a while. This plant is a biennial. It formed a rosette last summer and persisted throughout the winter. Once the flowers mature and the seeds form, this plant will die. The goldfinches truly love eating these seeds and it is worth growing it for that reason alone. You will never plant it. Just watch for it while in the garden and don't pull it out. Now, on to the tour and the visitors and helpers.
The very first visitor of the day showed up pretty close to 9:00 AM. She came from west of here and took the opportunity to stop by and view the garden and pick up a ticket to see all the gardens. Judie enjoyed talking to her and BJ is a one dog welcoming party all by himself. We (Me, Judie, Phil, Geri, Nancy, and Julie) all enjoyed meeting and talking with everyone who came by. We did not keep a good count of the visitors but estimate that around 100 people visited. There was a fairly steady stream and many took the time to sign my guestbook. I appreciated that very much. 
One visitor that came is a nearby neighbor. Her name is Naomi. As soon as she pulled in the driveway she jumped out of her car with this pretty cutting of St. Johns Wort in her hand. It was a special gift for me. She bought a ticket but said she only wanted to visit here since she lives close by. Her son is just down the road from me as well. We exchanged phone numbers with promises of getting together soon.
You all will recognize my regular reader Nina. She brought her daughter (Dana) and granddaughter (Sarah) for a visit. Sarah was a very tired little girl by the time they reached my garden. I appreciated seeing them and being able to take a picture. I did not take many pictures on this day but made a special effort to get my camera for this shot. Considering how long I have been blogging, you would think I would know to have my camera always at the ready. 
Many visitors wondered what this plant was that matched so nicely with the red bee balm. It is drumstick alliums, Allium sphaerocephalon. An easily grown allium which is very reliable in my garden. I like the deep coloring and the fact it is easy to grow and a reliable perennial here. 
I say weeds are the number one nemesis of all gardeners. But what exactly is a weed? Oftentimes it is said a weed is simply a plant in the wrong place. That can define a weed. A weed can also be a harmful plant, such as poison ivy. I think a weed is anything growing in my garden which I do not want. It can be something as pretty as these violets, or something as ugly as a dandelion (sorry you dandelion lovers), or something sold as an ornamental plant which ends up being invasive, like the Houttuynia.
Dandelions are everywhere! Not only do they grow in the spring, but they grow all season long! They are not a cold or hot weather weed, but a year round pest. Their roots run deep and it is hard to get rid of them using my handy fishhook tool. I try though. For a good six years now. This is one weed I will never negotiate a truce with. If left to grow, even for a few days, it will set seeds and spread itself around. Sometimes even when the plant is pulled and tossed in the compost, I notice the seeds still maturing! How is that for a weed!
