Poke Weed

Poke weed is also known as, Poke Salad, Pokeberry, Scoke, Pigeonberry, Ink berry, Cancer root, and Wild spinach. It occurs naturally throughout North and South Carolina. Poke weed contains vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, and phosphorus.

Pokeweed has a number of uses. It can be boiled and eaten like asparagus, cooked like spinach, or mixed half and half with greens and eaten. The root is boiled into a decoction that can be applied to sores, or used to bath the head as a remedy for high blood pressure. Pokeweed is an excellent remedy for hardening of the liver and enlarged glands (thyroid, spleen, and lymphatic). Pokeweed contains steroids that resemble cortisone, making Pokeweed a helpful treatment for skin conditions like psoriases, acne, and fungal infections. Pokeweed should be used sparingly by someone trained in herbs.