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There seems to be an explosion of this plant (phytolacca) in my FIL's neighborhood. There is an 8-10 foot shrub growing next to his garage, he has been ill for some time, and the lawn care people do nothing beyond cutting the grass. His neighbors are telling me they have had it in their yards and I am noticing it in the yard of the 80-something woman who lives in the house next door. I have never seen this plant before so I have no experience in how to eradicate it. I am aware of its toxicity which is why I want to eradicate it. We also have some concern, due to its size and location next to the garage, that the roots will soon be large enough to damage the building's foundation. I hear it is very stubborn so I am hoping some of you will share the benefit of your wisdon and personal experience in dealing with it.
I am all for providing habitat for the birds, but this is just so toxic and there are too many little children and animals in the neighborhood that I think it needs to be completely gone. The birds have been getting most of the cherries from my two trees for nearly 25 years so I don't feel the least bit bad about removing this potential hazard.
I have not tried round-up, has it worked for you? I was told that due to its tenaciousness, I would need something stronger. But thanks for the suggestion.
Pokeweed is everywhere sure if you EAT any of it RAW you might run into some serious problems but the same could be said of about half the plants out there including such dangerous species as Azalea and Holly bushes......and oaks and yes apples and cherries!
It is ugly, no place in a residential setting but roundup works though I would not do it in a vegetable garden. Seriously young pokeweed is satifiying to weed as it pulls out so easy - get it early next year.
Therein lies the problem, grannynancy, this is no small weed. It is about 8 feet tall. Pokeweed has a taproot much like a dandelion; I can only imagine how long this is. Roundup might work on much smaller specimens, but on this one, my research tells me from speaking to the neighbors and from readng on the internet, the leaves will die back before enough of the herbicide is in the root to do any good. So when it grows back I will have exactly the same problem. Given the length of the taproot, digging isn't an option. One would need quite a monsterous hole and there is no room to manuever a shovel between the fence and the garage as it is. The root has to be removed, not only to keeping it from sprouting again but to prevent any potential damage to the garage's foundation.
I think you are going to have to spray over time again and again and again like you have to sometimes with poison ivy or bermuda grass...or even a tree (if you don't grind the stump).....The leaves are still taking the poison to the roots.
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