David, We haven't covered Poke yet as a medicinal plant, but I am aware the root is used for medicine. My dad asked me the other day about Poke berries being used for arthritis. He saw a video of a man popping 8 berries into his mouth, only eight, not thoroughly chewing them and claiming no arthritis as a result. Are there any medicinal uses for poke berries? On another note, Poke grows wild in Oklahoma, and my dad told me that his grandmother used to boil the heck out of the young leaves in the Spring to cut the bitterness and then sauté them with bacon and onions as a side dish. I have no idea what the wild variety is...if there is one called "Pasture Poke", then that is the one. Ha-ha. I asked him if he liked it, and his reply was "Everyone liked it!" He was often in charge of picking it. I asked him also if he knew where the tradition of eating it came from and he didn't know, but maybe there is a strong Native American connection, as this is a large part of our heritage. Just wondering if you have any knowledge in this area:) Jami

We will be covering Poke in the next 2-3 months, Poke berries have been used to treat arthritis, it works temporarily, but how safe it is long-term is another question. Poke greens (Poke Sallet), as in the song Poke Sallet Annie, is a common southern cooked green. It is cooked and the water thrown away 2-3 times to reduce toxicity. You can buy cooked poke greens in cans in the south. Even after cooking some people still get diarrhea from eating Poke greens. All Poke is the same there are no varieties, pasture poke is just wild poke growing in a pasture.

David, I was just reading the article about Cherokee traditions for class tomorrow, and I guess I just asked these questions a little early! I was kidding about the "Pasture Poke" variety, but it is definitely useful to know there are no other varieties. Thank you for the information. My dad, who has a degree in Agricultural Science (but became a pilot in the USAF to avoid crawling around in the jungle when his number came up during the Vietnam War), will love reading the article. He's a plant man, and when I mentioned the song Poke Sallet Annie, he rattled off the words to it:) My great grandmother on my dad's father's side of the family was a full-blooded Sac and Fox Sioux, and although we don't really know which tribe his mother's side of the family is associated with, my great uncle Wilbur spoke Creek, so that could be a clue! Of course, my entire family on both sides are native Oklahomans, so I am really enjoying this unit of study. Thank you:) Jami