Blooming in Bloomington: Elderberry vs Pokeberry

Late summer early fall is the best time to find berries. There seems to be a lot of confusion with the identification of Poke (Phytolacca americana) vs. the identification of Elderberry (Sambucus nigra). Both are native plants throughout much of the eastern half of North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Despite their somewhat similar appearances, elderberries and pokeberries are not related. They come from different plants that have two separate origins. While Poke and Elder plants both produce white flowers followed by dark purple berries, Elder berries are tiny, like a bb, while Poke berries are about the size of peas with a dent in each berry.

Additionally, the stems of Elderberry are thin and woody with brown flecks on them. The only part of the Elder bush that is red is the stems that the berries are on and some of the leaf stems. Pokeberry plant stems are generally a purply red.

The leaves are different too. they look more like the leaves on a Walnut tree, compound. the leaves on Elderberry are opposite while the leaves on Poke are simple and alternate.

As an aside, Pokeberries are not as poisonous as people make them out to be…yes, if you ate a bunch of the berries and chewed the seeds in them really well, you would likely puke a lot and may have more serious side effects but they don’t taste very good and the taste alone would stop you. Swallowing a few berries will do nothing more than put your body into high gear to clear out your system. As long as you don’t chew the seeds, it’s not going to do a whole lot to you other than maybe give you diarrhea. (but please, don’t try eating them nevertheless!)

Contrarily, elderberries are very edible and are often used to generate pies and jams. People can eat elderflowers raw or cooked. However, raw elderberries, as well as the seeds, leaves, and bark of the tree, contain a toxic substance that can lead to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Always forage safely and responsibly!

Do you prefer the taste of ElderFlower or ElderBerry?
https://www.growforagecookferment.com/foraging-for-elderberries/

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