INKWEED INVADER

Question This weed is coming up in the bush margins around our property. It seems to be very brittle and snaps off when I try to pull it out. A friend says it’s poisonous. Can you advise what I should do? A. Wilson, Dargaville

Answer This is inkweed, Phytolacca octandra, from South and Central America. It is quite widespread throughout warm, frost-free parts of the country and survives in almost any soil conditions, though thrives exceptionally well in fertile moist soil reaching 1–2 metres tall and wide. As you’ve noticed it is quite brittle and often snaps off at ground level when you try to pull it out, leaving behind a thick root that soon sprouts new shoots. Some sources say the roots can be used for medicinal purposes, but inkweed is more generally described as a poisonous plant, toxic to livestock and humans especially the ripe blackish-red berries. Sap from the leaves or stems may cause irritation of skin and eyes, and ingestion of berries causes burning in the mouth, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and headaches. A similar-looking and closely related plant P. americana, known as pokeweed, is also naturalised in this country but far less common than inkweed. Pokeweed is also toxic but in its native North America is traditionally eaten, though only the young new leaves after having been boiled several times in fresh water to remove the toxins. Inkweed and pokeweed are both relatively easy to control by pulling or digging small ones out by hand making sure to get the thick root out of the ground, or spraying with glyphosate-based herbicide. Cut larger ones off close to the ground and treat the stumps with a glyphosate-based herbicide gel such as Cut’n’paste or glyphosate gel to prevent regrowth.