I was able to stop most of the pokeweed from growing in the barnyard by putting black plastic over the places they grew. I wouldn’t have minded it, it has a very pretty berry that the birds love. But it’s toxic to the sheep and donkeys and I think it would have taken over the whole pasture if I let it.
All summer long I still go to the barnyard with a clipper and continually cut the plants that do still grow before they can get too big.
Now there’s pokeweed growing under the big maple behind my studio. The place where Bud loves to sit and wait for the squirrel who jumps from tree to tree. That’s a good spot for it because it’s more contained there.
The berries have many uses. The plant is sometimes called inkberry because people used to make ink from it. It’s also used for natural dying.
That’s Lulu watching me from behind the fence, and the pokeberry is in the foreground.
