This plant is distinguished its elongated clusters of light pink flowers, green berries and ripe fleshy blue-black berries all at the same time.
Inkberry or Pokeberry is a beautiful plant with a significant toxicity. However, if prepared correctly, the leaves are considered a delicacy in the rural United States with a caveat: always harvest in the spring when young, and NEVER EVER consume the berries!
Originally called “poke sallet” the name was changed to “polk salad” in a 1968 country/pop song by Tony Joe White called “Polk Salad Annie.”
I took all these photos in September, on a plant which had these delicate pink flowers on a pinky-green stalk.
The same plant also contained green berries forming on rich pink stalks…
Along with more developed green berries on hot pink stems…
And ripe blue-black berries on almost red stems, that look yummy but NEVER EVER eat them.
Frank’s Tuesday Photo Challenge for this week was ‘focus’. As I use only a point ‘n shoot camera I find capturing depth of field with one particular item in focus to be tricky – it really only works well on macros.
Batz Gallery 
One thought on “Inkberry or Pokeberry, September’s Plant of the Month”