Pokeweed Revisited: Toxicity, Safety, and Activated Charcoal

Managing Pokeweed Where Children Play

The plant with maroon stems and black berries on your fence is Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana).

Toxicity Facts

• Young shoots (green stem) are edible as “poke salad.”
• Mature plant (purple stem) and large taproot are toxic.
• Berries are mildly toxic—large quantities needed for serious harm.

Safety Measures

• Teach children not to eat unknown plants.
• Keep activated charcoal (CharcoCaps) on hand—universal antidote for ingested toxins.
• Consider removing plant if toddlers frequent the area.

Free resource: LSU Co-op Extension’s “Poisonous Plants of the Southern United States” booklet.

— Advice from Susan