I had these plants pop up where I cleared some trees out around my tree stand, any idea what it is?

Pokeberry. Pokeweed.

poke, I also plant it around back for the deer, they love it, it is poisoness to us when tall

Pokeberry for sure. I have heard turkey after eating them get a natural high an do some crazy things. LOL

Poisonous to touch or eat or both?

http://www.poison.org/articles/2012-aug/pokeberries-and-grapes- look-alike

its poison to eat. when it first emerges from ground it resembles spinach , it is safe to eat at that stage only to my understanding, and yes I have eating it, but did not like it. It has a large bulbus root witch can be transplanted to rows as a crop, mine seen to live for 2-5 yrs, the deer eat the top foot of growth and return to it every month, in one acre I have about 30plants of it .

Deer love them

Yep pokeberry/ink weed they just started popping up on my property a couple years ago every time I went past where they are I would see deer so I put a stand up there last year and killed my best buck ever . I have been told they are poisen for cattle the berries also make great die for wool and even feathers.

Got this info from a website:

The roots, stems and leaves are toxic when eaten, and so are the berries, although they're actually the least toxic part. One study found you'd have to eat about 45 pounds of pokeberries to die.

Depending on how much you'd eat of what parts, you or curious visitors (kids? pets?) are open to neurological reactions, including convulsions, muscle spasms, rapid pulse, low blood pressure and more.

Pokeweed isn't considered to be a broad skin allergen, certainly nothing like poison ivy. However, some people are sensitive to the sap and have reported rashes after handling pokeweed. Unless you know you're not one of those people, it would be a good precaution to wear rubber gloves. So long as protective clothing keeps the plant from rubbing up against your skin, you'll head off the threat of a rash.

Pokeberry. I ate some today. Fresh young leaves/plants are safe to eat. The rain we had recently got some new plants started. Older plants and berries aren't safe to eat, but aren't poisonous to touch.

I use the berries to make dye for arrows and bows.

Pokesalad

The native americans used the plant to dye skins, arrows and clothes. The dye is very hard to get out once set.

Yes, as stated Pokeberry. They seem to like freshly cleared areas and can be a deer magnet.

Thanks everyone, I guess I will leave them alone and it sounds like my stand is in a good spot ?? ??

What Jeff D. said. Makes a REALLY neat colored stain.

I called it pokesalad, mom would pick early growth leaves and cook it with fried eggs in it , was like greens if it had enough eggs in it i could eat it never really cared for greens though

Poke mon and birds love those all birds too. So do all the animals of the forrest. Don't get them on your hands it will be there for a while.LOL

I always thought they might be good to stain shafts too?

Leave them there.

Leaves don't have to be itty bitty and young, but they are more palatable that way. Cook those greens with garlic and bacon.

"Go'nna get ya Granny. Polk Salad Annie."

Yea it's Polk. Grows everywhere in Alabama. There's a town not far from where I live even has a Polk salad festival every year. Deer eat it but it dies fairly quickly after a few frost. On a side note if you decide to eat the leaves yourself it is recommended to boil it with a water change or two, since the toxins are in the water. Some of these other guys may not do it , but that's the way people here do it.

As a dye/stain, it works fine, but isn't impervious to the effects of sunlight. It will fade. Still looks really cool though.

It's not Polk, it's Poke.

Pick the smaller leaves as they are more tender,boil twice changing water,fry with little bacon grease and eggs.Clean you right out.

Sorry George but poke or polk I think really depends on how far south you drive:) but yes technically you're correct.

I think the root has slight value

http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2796024/selling_poke_r oot

Its poke salat. Its only edible when green. Avoid the purple. Most people boil it changing the water 3 times, bringing to boil for 15 minutes each time in order to be sure its safe. then fry it in bacon grease. If you want, scramble some eggs, adding them as it fries. Fry till eggs are done and serve with pepper juice, or not,lol.

Down in the hills where I grew up some of the old timers eat one berry a year, they say it keeps arthritis away.

If the leaves are toxic I should be dead. I was taught the leaves of plant when young and not more than three feet high are goof to eat as salad or as greens.

I have eaten the young leaves double-boiled and no real problem. Don't know why anyone goes to the trouble, though. They don't taste particularly good. Some people might like them, however. Lots of wild spring greens taste better to me and provide good spring vitamins, minerals, etc. Even dandelion greens taste better to me than poke.

I wonder if that is the same plant we had back in IL. that grew down by the creek? I seem to remember as kids throwing them at each other.

I have been told its a natural diuretic.

My Grannie put it in cold water with a weight on top to press out the toxins. She changed the water three times before boiling it. Only in the early Spring, before any stalks turned red. A lot like spinach, I like it with a little red wine vinegar.

Poke. Good greens when it first comes up, poisiness when mature. Berries make an excellent stain.

pokeweed, young shoots are edible as cooked greens, berries are emetic, roots and mature plant toxic.

Someone try making fletch dye out of this and then show us the results! I will if I find time. We have a Pokee plant with berries in the woods behind the dog kennel.

Early growth poke leaves, fried until crispy on the corners, in coconut oil and lightly salted is as good as any thing you will ever eat. God Bless

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