Harvesting carrot roots can be difficult
Those roots grow big – almost as big as you.
How to dig it? Can it really be done?
It is best to wait for rain, not for soil baked in the sun
Let that ground get soggy and then start digging it out
Dig and dig around it, then pull it and give a shout
And finally when you’re tired and think you just can’t win
A little of that carrot may come out and you’ll earn a grin.
You’ve probably heard of Poke and may have even been warned that it is poisonous. There is a lot of misinformation circulating about this misunderstood plant.
Although you need to be careful when using this plant, if you use it properly, there is no need to fear this beneficial plant. If you choose to use this plant without respect and caution, you will have a miserable time, but we’ll get to that in a moment.
Although many people fear this plant, many more have learned how valuable a Poke plant is. In the South, there are many uses, including pink water, which I’ll discuss in a moment, and poke salat (also called poke sallet), a delicious spring dish that is also often found on the canned food aisle in the South.
Poke salat is made by boiling the greens of Poke in several changes of water. The resulting dish tastes very similar to asparagus.
It is no surprise that people traditionally eat Poke in the spring because it contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), C, K and calcium, iron and phosphorus. . In addition, Poke contains proteins and carbohydrates.
As a medicine, Poke is bitter, pungent, acrid, cooling, and drying. His medicine is what we call a low dose botanical. While you would generally take 30 drops of a tincture of an herb such as plantain or nettle, with Poke you would only take about 3 DROPS.
Poke is a premium lymphatic herb. A tea made from a small amount of root, or a tincture of the root, can help stimulate and purify the lymphatic system.
This herb is great for helping breastfeeding mothers who develop mastitis. An oil infused with the root can be massaged onto the breasts a few times a day. The oil must be wiped off before baby nurses! I have also used it with great success on my dairy goats.
Poke is very stimulating for the immune system. Pink water, made with the berries, is an Appalachian folk remedy used to boost the immune system and flush out lingering illnesses.
Another southern remedy is to swallow a few berries daily to help with rheumatism and arthritis. As long as the berries are swallowed whole and not chewed (the toxins are in the hard seeds), no ill effects occur. Freezing or drying the berries for year-round use makes them easily available when the berries are not yet ripe.
Much research is being done on Poke and findings have shown that Poke can be effective in fighting leukemia, cancer, herpes and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Poke is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, making it a great plant to use for mumps, swollen glands, tonsillitis, strep throat, tinea, ringworm and acne.
As a diuretic, Poke can help reduce water retention.
In Africa, people contract bilharzia, a parasitic disease caused by snails that live in the water where people bathe. Because Poke is a mollusk, it has been used successfully to reduce the number of snails in the water and to help people who are suffering. from Bilharzia.
Externally, a poultice or ointment from the root has been used for a variety of skin problems, including boils, fungal infections, pressure sores, carbuncles, chickenpox, eczema, hemorrhoids, herpes, measles, psoriasis, shingles, sprains and tonsillitis.
Pregnant women should not use Poke as it may cause a miscarriage.
The root is most often used as a medicine and can be tinned, steeped in oil from which an ointment can be made, or dried and used in a weak tea. The berries can be swallowed whole or strained into water to make Pink Water.
One final warning: I mentioned that Poke is poisonous. Although large doses of Poke can cause side effects, when used in small amounts, such as 3-5 drops of tincture, you generally do not need to worry about toxicity. In the berries, the seeds are the poisonous parts and should be removed before use or swallowed without chewing. If you take too much of the root you will feel nauseous and you may start to see ‘stars’ flashing around. The symptoms usually disappear quickly. if you stop using it. If you continue to take too much, you will probably vomit. Excessive use of Poke can cause not only nausea and vomiting, but also cramps, abdominal pain, watery and/or bloody diarrhea, weakness, hypotension, breathing difficulties, convulsions and tachycardia. This is a low dose botanical and should be used very cautiously. Stop using it at the first sign of any of these symptoms! Consuming yogurt can help absorb Poke’s toxins, but if you are concerned about an overdose, seek medical attention.
Do you want to learn to make Poke Pink Water with your children? Check out my new Monday Making series. This week’s episode is about making Pink Water!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ialdbg7xvY
Would you like to listen to “Poke and the Sorcerer”? This story is from the Poke issue of Herbal Roots zine and can be found on YouTube here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjvnI7uUacE
Poke Berry food coloring
Pokeberries form a majestic purple dye, which is unfortunately not colorfast, but is still fun to play with.
Because it is a temporary dye, it can be fun to use as a hair dye. Just puree some berries, strain the juice and add it to your hair.
The dye can be washed out with the smallest amount of water, making it quick and easy to remove. It leaves a beautiful magenta color.
I also pureed the berries and added play silk to the juice to dye, which resulted in this beautiful purple. Again, you can’t let it get wet (when washed it often reacts with detergent and turns a dingy gray color), but it can be used for dry playtime.
There are methods to make it colorfast, but I have yet to try them.
Want to know more about Poke? You can find the eBook about Poke in our store: https://herbalrootszine.com/product/poke-issue-115/