Pokeweed and Pine Needles

This is something I used to do when I was a little girl. My Granny had pokeweeds in the woody areas behind her house. Their red and purple beauty just seemed to beckon us! Of course, my cousin and I didn't use paper to paint with these juicy, splendid things. We freely smeared them on trees and the back of an old tool shed! It was great fun until we came inside with our hands (and most of our arms and clothes) all stained a beautiful, velvety color! My Granny didn't really think that it was as great as my cousin and I did. Oh well, it left stains on our clothes and wonderful memories of childhood in our hearts!

As Little Mister and I walked around in the woody area beside our house today, we found loads of pokeberry bushes! I picked a bag full while he found the perfect pine needle branch!

There's some berries

Hurry Mommy, Let's Paint

Please use caution and supervise your child well if you paint with Pokeweed berries!!!

Interesting Facts about Pokeweed:
* U.S. Constitution was written in Pokeweed ink.
* American Indians used pokeweed ink to decorate their horses.

* The pokeweeds, also known as poke, pokebush, pokeberry, pokeroot, polk salad, polk sallet, inkberry or ombú, comprise the genus Phytolacca, perennial plants native to North America, South America, East Asia and New Zealand. Pokeweed contains phytolaccatoxin and phytolaccigenin, which are poisonous to mammals. However, the berries are eaten by birds, which are not affected by the toxin because the small seeds with incredibly hard outer shells remain intact in the digestive system and are eliminated whole.