Our mailbox is the old fashioned kind. No community locked boxes. It’s out at the end of the driveway under a telephone/electric pole. Up at the top of that pole many different birds perch, eat, nest, and do their business. As a result, many different varieties of plants sprout as volunteers. Palm trees are the number one offender that get yanked out whenever I see them. Mulberry and pecan trees have also taken root only to be removed. Even peppers have been brought to this spot by my avian friends.
This just in: The mystery plant has been identified as Pokeweed. It turns out that Pokeweed is extremely dangerous/poisonous. I went out and yanked it from this good Earth and tossed it in the green waste to be picked up tomorrow.
And now I can’t get the song Poke Salad Annie out of my head. Thanks for the ID everyone.
Who knew this mystery plant/weed could lead to so much entertainment.
6 comments:
You know to me they look like elderberries. I don't know if they grow in your part of the valley, but they grow up near Oakhurst and Shaver Lake. Not on the valley floor that I know of. Let us know if you get an ID!
Looks like it could be a pokeberry to me, and if so, they cannot be eaten by humans unless you get the really young leaves and I think you have to boil them several times in fresh water each time. It's hard to tell without seeing the whole plant, they grow all over our place. We live in such different climates you might have something similar looking.
Yep, that's pokeberry. It's a weed. Ideally you should pull it out and put it in the garbage before the fruits ripen (too late), but you can probably still pull it out if you're careful not to drop fruit on the ground.
P.S. It can also be used to make dye.
Birds love it--it is actually quite pretty in full bloom and fruit, but it is not native to west coast, so probably best that you pulled it. (and if course if kids would be tempted to eat it.)
Poke!
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