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RSSGardeners' musings
A poke in the eye
Posted by: James Alexander-Sinclair, 30 October 2007, 09.01AM
One of the best looking plants in my garden this week is the Pokeweed or Phytolacca americana. It is always interesting when plants that are noxious weeds in some parts of the world are regarded as something interesting and unusual in others. For example Agapanthus are a weed in South Africa while in America they expend considerable energy in trying to eradicate this plant: over here we buy them both for £8.50 in garden centres.
I first came across Phytolacca about five years ago in a garden I had recently planted up; the clients went off to visit a garden somewhere and came back with three - as one does. Very few gardeners are disciplined enough to resist the temptation of a new plant even if there is no space left in the garden: maybe St Fiacre (Patron Saint of Gardeners) never impulse shopped in nurseries. I had not seen the plant before, all I knew was that it was quite large and had been planted in the middle of my carefully planned flower bed. Hmmmm...some designers would have thrown a bit of of a wobbly fit but, what the hell: it's their garden so who am I to object? (Except when I found that another client of mine had installed a concrete Charlie Dimmock in the border - but that is another much grizzlier story not totally suitable for a family audience).
Since then I have used it a lot - especially in slightly shady corners. The insignificant flowers are a pretty insipid pink, and the leaves - though abundant - are never going to inspire sonnets but in October the whole plant is transformed and comes alive. This is because the stems are suffused with a blush of red and the berries are truly spectacular. They are the shape of turbans and gradually transform themselves from bean green to the colour of burnished Ribena. Sadly they are poisonous so should not be eaten unless, as in Native American culture, you feel the need of a spectacular purgative in order to expel any loitering bad spirits. The leaves are sometimes eaten in the Deep South of the USA - where they are boiled three times in clean water so probably still a bit risky!
A great plant for the edge of a woodland or a large border although it does tend to seed itself in inappropriate places. The American Constitution was written in ink made from the berries of Pokeweed.
Comments
Tricia MacCurrach
31 October 2007, 01.46PM
Pat Meadows
01 November 2007, 12.51PM
Andrea of Aston
01 November 2007, 06.54PM
Jan Berry-Leics
04 November 2007, 07.09AM
James A-S
05 November 2007, 04.20PM
Inger Michaelsen Vicker
06 November 2007, 07.39PM
Obsidian
09 November 2007, 02.45PM
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