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Old 10-11-2005, 02:30 PM
Vox Humana
 
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Default Anybody recognize this woody perennial?


wrote in message
oups.com...
It's low and wide-spread, maybe three feet across this first year.
Variegated leaves that were much more vivid lime/yellow than in this
fall snapshot, and the berries were preceded by small white flowers.

It's grown immensely this first year, maybe quadrupled in size. I never
thought that I'd be the sort of person who (apparently) planted
something and then completely lost track of what it was, but middle-age
is having its way with me.

Any idea? http://tinypic.com/fk4ftt.jpg


Are you sure you planted this? The common non-variegated variety, AKA poke
weed, is a nuisance in my garden. I am on constant vigilance trying to
prevent it from taking hold. It tends to appear in disturbed soils at the
margins of woodlands and in meadows. Wildlife eat the berries and distribute
the seeds. All parts are poisons if ingested by humans and livestock
except for the very young shoots which can be eaten if they are boiled and
the water is changed two or three times. It can be difficult to control as
it forms substantial tap roots that are hard to remove. Pieces of the root
that are left behind will generate a new plant. Unless the plant is some
sterile hybrid, I would be afraid to let the fruit mature for fear of it
popping up elsewhere.