The BackWoods Drifter

I do believe I have talked about pokeweed before on the blog but since I was literally walking through it yesterday I felt the need to write about it again and show it to you.

I remember many times out hunting this plant with my grandma, both of them actually. Personally I have only ever been fond of one type of greens and that is spinach. Although poke greens are said to taste like spinach. I know quite a few people are quite fond of them.

Like a lot of wild plants - poke contains a toxin and has to be prepared a specific way in order to remove it. If you want to know a lot more about poke greens you can check out - Wikipedia - Pokeweed.

Also like a lot of plants this one has many uses. Even more than most. Did you know - the Declaration of Independence was written using fermented pokeberry juice? I sure didn’t. The plant grows to a height of from 5 to 10 feet and has purple berries on it once it matures.

Anyway, if you plan to cook it, definitely read up on it some before you do because the toxin can do nasty stuff to you.

I haven’t really found any particular one area to find the pokeweed. It seems to just grow anywhere. Once you know what it looks like - it is hard to miss.

Adding these photos of the mature pokeberry bush . Thanks Matthew.

I went around my house today checking out all the wildflowers in bloom. Every since I started playing with a camera I have pretty much regulated myself to scenic photos. A big reason for that is because when you are taking long distance shots - detail isn’t quite as important as subject matter. That is not to say someone would want to look at an out of focus photo but it does leave a little room for error in the photo taking process. Believe me, I needed the room for error.

Today I tried my hand at some closeup photos and this post is the result of that. A couple of the flowers in this post I know and a couple I don’t so we may as well start with the ones I know.

This is Garlic Mustard. If I’m not badly mistaken this is the only time of the year it will be in bloom. Garlic mustard is an invasive plant species.

Next on the list is the all to familiar dandelion. They are currently blooming nearly everywhere you look in my backyard.

The next two plants I don’t know. The first one it seems like I should know. But at the moment the answer eludes me. I have no clue on the second flower.

This is probably the extent of the closeup photos you will see from me. Unless of course I get a camera more suited for closeups.

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Adding -

No, I’m not talking about hillbillies this time. I am talking about some local plant-life.

This ramp patch is on the clear cut mountain that has been prepped for mining. One thing I noticed about this patch right away. They are full grown plants and about three inches smaller than plants found in their normal environment. The normal environment for these plants have been removed leaving the plants susceptible to the sun. Ramps (Wild Leek) prefer moist ground with plenty of shade. If the mining on this site doesn’t wipe these plants out this year, the simple fact they have been removed from their natural environment will prevent growth next year.

This flowering plant is called Bloodroot. This is the first time I have ever seen this plant bloom before the leaves open. This is another plant that requires shaded moist areas for optimum growth. Most likely this will be the last year it is found on this mountain regardless of how far the mine site progresses.

The reason I bring these plants up is because I want to talk about the endangered plant ginseng for just a bit. For generations ginseng has been harvested both as a medicinal herb and to sale on the market. I have used it as a source of income in more years than I care to mention. There have been all sorts of restrictions put on harvesters of the ginseng plant because of its endangered classification. Normally I wouldn’t have a problem with those restrictions because ultimately it is the plant that needs protecting.

Ginseng requires the same type of soil and shade as the other plants mentioned in this post. Mountaintop removal does more to destroy the range of ginseng in one year than a multitude of harvesters could do over decades. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is obviously the removal of the plants protecting cover - not to mention the mountain. Another reason that is not quite so obvious is the loss of habitat for the wild turkey. Turkey eat the berries and then naturally spread the seed wherever they roam.

With the loss of habitat for the turkey and the ginseng plant - I would say this plant doesn’t stand a chance of coming off the endangered list any time soon, if ever. What aggravates me about that is sooner rather than later more restrictions will be put on harvesting the plant and yet the coal industry wipes out plant habitat with every fallen tree - with no restrictions.

Can you identify this plant? I have searched high and low for the answer and yet I have no clue what it is. Right now in the mountains this plant and it’s relative, the same except for a white flower, are in full bloom and scattered all through some hollows. My curiosity has been piqued.

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Adding - Thanks to some knowledgeable comments the mystery of this plant was quickly laid to rest.

Purple Trillium (Trillium Erectum) - This is one time I’m glad I didn’t stop to smell the flowers.

Common Names - American Beth Root, American Birthroot, Amerikaanse Drielingenwortel, Amerikanische Drillingswurzel, Beth Herb, Bethroot, Birthroot, Drielingenkruid, Drillingskraut, Ground Lily, Indian Balm, Indian Shamrock, Lamb’s Quarters, Purple Trillium, Red Trillium, Stinking-benjamin, Trillie Americain, Trilling Herb, Trillium-Purple, Troix Jumeaux, Wake-Robin

Edible Uses - Leaves - raw or cooked. Used in spring, the young unfolding leaves are an excellent addition to the salad bowl, tasting somewhat like sunflower seeds. Leaves can also be cooked as a potherb.

Medicinal Uses - Antiseptic, Aphrodisiac, Astringent, Birthing aid, Expectorant, Poultice, Tonic, Uterine tonic.

Scent - The flowers have an unattractive smell of putrefied flesh. The white-flowered form, blandum, is almost scentless.

From here - http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Trillium+erectum