[APWG] FW: Invasive Notes: Invasive Bamboo Wars Heat Up

Wed Oct 31 14:18:37 CDT 2012

I've heard of it being used as salad in the spring, but: see
http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=270

Toxicity: All parts of common pokeweed are toxic to humans, pets and livestock. Roots are the most poisonous, leaves and stems are intermediate in toxicity (toxicity increases with maturity), and berries are the least toxic. Since common pokeweed is not very palatable, most animals avoid eating it unless little else is available, or if it is in contaminated hay. Horses, sheep and cattle have been poisoned by eating fresh leaves or green fodder, and pigs have been poisoned by eating the roots. Children are most frequently poisoned by eating raw berries. Infants are especially sensitive and have died from eating only a few raw berries. Although boiled young shoots have been eaten as greens and berries cooked in pie, ingestion of any part of the plant cannot be recommended. Adults have been poisoned, sometimes fatally, by eating improperly prepared leaves and shoots, especially if part of the root is harvested with the shoot, and by mistaking the root for an edible tuber. Research with humans has also shown that common pokeweed can cause mutations (possibly leading to cancer) and birth defects. Since the juice of pokeweed can be absorbed through the skin, contact of plant parts with bare skin should be avoided.
Symptoms of poisoning from common pokeweed include a burning sensation in the mouth, salivation, gastrointestinal cramps, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. Most people and animals recover within 1 to 2 days if only small quantities are eaten. If large quantities are consumed, more severe symptoms can occur, such as anemia, altered heart rate and respiration, convulsions and death from respiratory failure. The primary toxic compounds are thought to be oxalic acid, saponins (phytolaccotoxin and phytolaccigenin) and an alkaloid (phytolaccin).

Alan V. Tasker, Ph.D.
Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist
USDA  Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service
Plant Protection & Quarantine
Regulations, Permits & Manuals;
Plants for Planting Import & Policy Staff
4700 River Road, 4A03.18
Riverdale, MD 20737

Alan.V.Tasker at aphis.usda.gov<mailto:Alan.V.Tasker at aphis.usda.gov>

Desk     301-851-2224 Mobile 301-346-7207
Fax        301-734-8584

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/plant_imports/Q37

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From: maipc-bounces at lists.maipc.org [mailto:maipc-bounces at lists.maipc.org] On Behalf Of Maze, Dominic
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 11:57 AM
To: 'Robert Layton Beyfuss'; ialm at erols.com; ficmnew at mail.afpmb.org; maipc at lists.maipc.org; apwg at lists.plantconservation.org; INVASIVES at LISTSERV.UMD.EDU; aliens-l at list.auckland.ac.nz
Subject: Re: [MAIPC] [APWG] FW: Invasive Notes: Invasive Bamboo Wars Heat Up

I enjoy reading about the restoration challenges from our colleagues on the East Coast; especially when the discussion involves your natives that, as in the case of pokeweed, are newly emerging invasives we are expending resources on to control here.  Observing the rapid spread of pokeweed in the Portland (Oregon) Metro region and its significant underground biomass, I have no doubt that it could be a strong competitor against whatever bamboo you're dealing with (Phyllostachys sp.?).

Also, when I began researching the threat to human health from pokeweed a couple years back, I could find only one documented instance of a fatality due to ingestion.  Does anyone from pokeweed's native range have any other information, anecdotal or otherwise, to support or refute the notion that pokeweed is a significant threat to human health?
Thanks in advance,

Dominic Maze | Invasive Species Coordinator/Biologist
City of Portland Environmental Services
1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room 1000
Portland, Oregon 97204
p:  (503) 823-4899
f:   (503) 823-5344
dominic.maze at portlandoregon.gov<mailto:dominic.maze at portlandoregon.gov>
            www.portlandonline.com/bes/invasives<http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=45696>
________________________________
From: APWG [mailto:apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Robert Layton Beyfuss
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 7:46 AM
To: Marc Imlay; ficmnew at mail.afpmb.org<mailto:ficmnew at mail.afpmb.org>; maipc at lists.maipc.org<mailto:maipc at lists.maipc.org>; apwg at lists.plantconservation.org<mailto:apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>; INVASIVES at LISTSERV.UMD.EDU<mailto:INVASIVES at LISTSERV.UMD.EDU>; aliens-l at list.auckland.ac.nz<mailto:aliens-l at list.auckland.ac.nz>
Subject: Re: [APWG] FW: Invasive Notes: Invasive Bamboo Wars Heat Up

Our native pokeweed is a beautiful plant that can rival bamboo in size and stature on a good site. The spring greens were often cooked and eaten in Appalachia, but the mature foliage, berries and roots especially, are highly toxic. Kids will sometimes eat the attractive and juicy black berries or use them to make "ink" as I did as a child. Fortunately the berries are not highly toxic, but I wonder if planting something that is poisonous will send up some red flags?
As nasty as garlic mustard is, I would not want to see it replaced by poison ivy, native or not. Pokeweed is only poisonous if ingested.
Bob

From: APWG [mailto:apwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Marc Imlay
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2012 1:31 PM
To: ficmnew at mail.afpmb.org<mailto:ficmnew at mail.afpmb.org>; maipc at lists.maipc.org<mailto:maipc at lists.maipc.org>; apwg at lists.plantconservation.org<mailto:apwg at lists.plantconservation.org>; INVASIVES at LISTSERV.UMD.EDU<mailto:INVASIVES at LISTSERV.UMD.EDU>; aliens-l at list.auckland.ac.nz<mailto:aliens-l at list.auckland.ac.nz>
Subject: [APWG] FW: Invasive Notes: Invasive Bamboo Wars Heat Up

Subject: Bamboo Control with native pokeweed

Anacostia Watershed Society treated a bamboo patch at Magruder Woods in Hyattsville, Maryland, several years ago. Next year all the bamboo was still dead. However, the following year the patch was covered with new bamboo shoots. Last year and the year before I observed that the bamboo was gone. At the Fall conference of the Maryland Native Plant Society in Towson on September 29, 2012 I asked Jorge Bogantes with AWS how they did this. He told me that they successfully used native American Pokeweed. AWS found out that about 5% of the bamboo was not killed by the pokeweed and had to be cut down.

I suggest we experiment this year with controlling bamboo patches we have cut down this year with pokeweed. We can go out soon to the open space habitats where we are controlling bamboo and identify which ones have pokeweed? Then we can treat half of the patches but leave the other half alone and see if resurgent pokeweed outcompetes the bamboo. The bamboo may need one year foliar treatment for the pokeweed to work.

Marc Imlay, PhD,
Conservation biologist, Park Ranger Office
(301) 442-5657 cell
 ialm at erols.com<mailto:ialm at erols.com>
Natural and Historical Resources Division
The  Maryland-National   Capital   Park  and Planning Commission
www.pgparks.com<http://www.pgparks.com>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jorge Bogantes Montero [mailto:jmontero at anacostiaws.org]
Sent: Friday, October 05, 2012 11:00 AM
To: Marc Imlay
Cc: Sheila Salo; Craig Tupper; Cynthia Robinson; Dan Smith; Dave & Casey Kneipp; Dave Rapp; Laila Riazi; Marian Dombroski; Matt T. Salo; Michael Callahan; RJ Eldridge; Marc.Imlay at mncppc.microsoftonline.com<mailto:Marc.Imlay at mncppc.microsoftonline.com>
Subject: Re: WMATA invasives contact?

Hi Marc,

After I sprayed the bamboo we planted trees and then noticed a resurgence of pokeweed which I know is weedy. So I just left it alone and it actually inhibited the bamboo from massively regrowing. I know I just have to control (with machetes) of the shoots that have made it to grow tall.

In some cases nature can help you if you know how to play with it. Especially the aggresive native plants ;)

Thanks,

Jorge

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 5, 2012, at 6:22 AM, Marc Imlay <ialm at erols.com<mailto:ialm at erols.com>> wrote:

I can come late in October for the bamboo. Anacostia Watershed Society spread out the native poke weed over bamboo that had come back after being treated a year or two before at Magruder Woods. It outcompeted most of the shoots. We may want to try this as an experiment in the Spring for any that survive the spraying. Jorge, would you like to describe and share this poke weed project?

Marc Imlay, PhD,
Conservation biologist, Park Ranger Office
(301) 442-5657 cell
 ialm at erols.com<mailto:ialm at erols.com>
Natural and Historical Resources Division
The  Maryland-National   Capital   Park  and Planning Commission
www.pgparks.com<http://www.pgparks.com>

-----Original Message-----
From: john peter thompson [mailto:ipetrus at msn.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2012 8:53 AM

http://ipetrus.blogspot.com/2012/10/invasive-bamboo-wars-heat-up.html

As I have been saying for about 20 years now, the result of a concerted attack on any effective national policy will be the rise of a fragmented mosaic of mini policies and here they come

There is a substantial private property liability case embedded in this. Insurance companies have banded together to fight the lone woman leading the charge who is pleading her case successfully so far without a lawyer. The insurance companies have been repeatedly reprimanded by the judge for their unprofessional and actions that may be subject to contept citations from the bench in the case. At one point the judge threatened to have the CEOs of three insurance companies digging bamboo personally if their lawyers did not stop their attempts to run rough shod over the legal propcess

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