272:365 Seeds

272:365 Seeds
An American Beautyberry. Theme #273.

210:365 Risky

210:365 Risky
Polkweed is abundant in Alabama in the summertime. All parts of the polkweed are poisonous to humans and animals except the young leaves that sprout out of the ground in the spring. People boil the leaves three times to get rid of the toxins and make polk salad. I remember going with my neighbor when I was a young girl searching for polkweed in the spring. She made polk salad every year and said that it was very medicinal. Some doctors say that it is risky to eat the leaves even after they have been boiled. The seeds turn dark purple when they are ripe and they are not poisonous to birds. They gobble them up. Theme #261.