Strange-looking and secretly highly toxic, 90% of people have missed its wild beauty

Her

 Lost in the Wild

Sparrow 

00:00/05:09

{Peony Girl Vol.876 }

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A beautiful and dangerous flower

A while ago, when Peony was on a study trip in Dali, she sent me two photos of flowers she had arranged herself:

April spotted it at first glancepokeweed, with clusters of red stems and green berries, densely packed and cascading like a waterfall, a lively scene of abundance that actually stole the spotlight from lisianthus and lilies.

In the past, I always thought pokeweed was more like a wild grass in the mountains, with a rustic look,lacking the romance of flowers and the freshness of leaves, and I didn't know what to do with it.

Until I saw this arrangement, I seemed to get the beauty of pokeweed, and began to re-examine this plant called "pokeweed."

Pokeweed's stems are slender and spreading,

its leaves are broad like palms,

but the most eye-catching part is its fruit,

clusters huddled together,

like heavy little grapes.

Pokeweed's growth goes through

the process of flowering to fruiting, and from green to ripe.

Whether it's the initial tender and sparse look,

or the intensity of red stems and purple berries after maturity,

different styles can all be used in flower arranging.

In the height of summer in June, the green buds open,

blooming clusters of pure white small flowers,

delicate and tender, blooming shyly.

It only needs a little sunlight and rain

to nurture green berries,

like tightly clenched little fists,

with vigorous vitality ready to burst forth.

By the mature season of autumn,

the little fists grow into clusters of black-purple berries,

each one plump and shiny,

weighing down and bending the branches.

There are two common types of pokeweed,

one isnative pokeweed，

the other isdrooping pokeweed，

also known as American pokeweed introduced from abroad.

Nowadays, drooping pokeweed is more commonly seen on the market.

How do you distinguish the two types of pokeweed?

Native pokeweed has green stems,

its fruit clusters stand upright and tall,

like guarding soldiers,

each berry has segments,

shaped like miniature pumpkins.

Drooping pokeweed has bright red stems,

and its fruit, just like the name suggests,

hangs low like a humble little person bowing.

The mature fruit has no segments,

plump and round.

These little berries look tender and juicy,

but they are actually toxic,

so never put them in your mouth to eat.

Amazingly,

birds are immune to pokeweed's toxicity,

often treating it as a little snack,

and incidentally spreading its seeds for it.

Pokeweed's root resembles ginseng,

but its medicinal properties are worlds apart from ginseng.

Ginseng is warm in nature and tonifies vital energy,

while pokeweed root is bitter and cold in nature,

and the red root is even highly toxic.

But then again,

although pokeweed root cannot be taken internally,

in the hands of professional traditional Chinese medicine practitioners,

it can be made into Chinese medicine for reducing edema,

one can't help but marvel at the wonder of creation.

In ancient times, pokeweed was called rouge grass,

besides being used to dye nails,

during festivals it was also applied to women's temples,

carrying an auspicious meaning.

Pokeweed's lignified root can be used as firewood,

during New Year's Eve in the Tang Dynasty,

the whole family would sit around the stove,

drinking tusu wine and burning pokeweed fires,

which was said to ward off evil and drive away ghosts.

When April was little, she often climbed up the hillside,

picked a few clusters of "little grapes,"

put them in a jar and crushed them, added clean water,

and madenatural red ink。

Thoreau wrote in "Walden,"

"The sour juice of pokeweed berries can be used as ink,

bought ink, whether blue or red,

is not as good as it."

For girls who can draw,

pokeweed berry juice is also a kind ofnatural pigment，

its rich purple color is very unique,

a beauty that chemical pigments cannot replicate.

There are even more impressive craft experts,

who use pokeweed berriesto dye fabric and dye yarn，

wearing nature's colors and fragrance on their bodies.

For those who play with flowers,

pokeweed is a headache-inducing floral material,

but if you can use it well,

you can reap unexpected surprises.

Tender green pokeweed is light and graceful,

possessingthe charm of traditional Chinese style。

paired with smooth linear floral materials,

it has an extraordinary character.

Cosmos flowers and foxtail grass come from roadsides and fields,

paired with pokeweed that also comes from the mountains,

purple berries and pink cosmos,

create a uniquely vibrant wild charm.

It can hold wild grass, and also complement abundant flowers.

If hydrangeas are too formal,

add a few sprigs of green pokeweed as an accent,

breaking free from frameworks and constraints,

making the overall style appear more natural and wild.

Agapanthus and salvia,

both are fresh blue-purple tones,

paired with a few sprigs of pokeweed so tender you could squeeze water out of them,

adds a touch of carefree, flying feeling.

Images from Huatian Xiaoqi

Traditional anthuriums are dignified and composed, neatly arranged,

while three or five tall pokeweed stems break the calm,

giving the upward space a sense of extension.

Image from Huatian Xiaoqi

Amid the passionate, romantic roses,

a few pokeweed stems sway unexpectedly,

with the addition of lotus seed pods,

combining Western grandeur with Chinese freehand style.

Image from @Xiaweike Vic

Sparse pokeweed looks light and delicate,

while dense pokeweed has a commanding presence.

In a vase arrangement, it is in no way inferior to other flowers.

Even when pokeweed is on its own,

it can firmly hold the scene together.

Naturally spreading stems and berries,

broad, rounded leaves,

a perfect combination of line and surface~

In the past, I only knew pokeweed could be used for dyeing,

later I discovered it can be used as medicine and in flower arrangements,

but it is not of a docile nature,

and it takes some effort for people to make good use of it.

Pokeweed is like a beautiful yet dangerous woman.

Strange in appearance, with crimson berries, the whole plant is highly toxic,

born in the wild hills, carrying an untamed wildness.

But as long as you approach her and get to know her,

you will understand and appreciate her unique beauty,

this is the secret bestowed upon her by nature's creation.

END

The images in this article are from Visual China Group and Instagram, and the copyright belongs to them.