Is Pokeweed Poisonous To Touch

[Omer]

Is pokeweed poisonous to touch? I need to get rid of a bunch. I don't know if I should just pull it up or go with another method of removal.

 

[Pinewood Acres]

It really depends on how sensitive you are to it, just like with poison ivy, it affects some more than others. I think it just causes contact dermatitis so wear gloves if you're worried and you should be fine. You have to remove the root system which is also poisonous and those things run deep. You'll never get rid of the entirely though. Birds spread them everywhere after eating the berries.

 

[Urban Homestead]

Haven't you guys ever heard of poke salad? You start with a young plant since it has less toxins. You want a plant that just sprouting and isn't showing its thick magenta stem or berries. You harvest the young leaves, then you boil and drain them three times in order to cook out the toxins, then you eat it. Supposedly it helped poor folks get by back in the olden days. Today it's a bit of a delicacy - or an annoying weed depending on where you're from.

 

[Qapla]

 

[leon]

It not advisable to touch pokeweed with bare hands as the chemicals could easily affect the blood by passing through the skin. As much as it is said to be unsafe to use, pokeweed root is known to treat rheumatism, tonsillitis, and several other ailments. How does this work?