Pokeweed

perennial, extremely common in much of the eastern and south central USA, but unknown elsewhere, in the Ozarks it occurs in nearly every field and yard, spring greens are boiled as a pot-herb (rinsed twice during boiling), some companies and Indian tribal cooperatives are selling the cultivated poke salad or sallet already cooked and canned on grocery shelves, also the source of pokeberry paint, NOTE: the berries and roots are toxic but have medicinal uses in small doses; known as Garget in French.