Pokeweed Salad!
"...We have a plant that grows out in the woods, and the fields
And it looks somethin' like a turnip green
Everybody calls it polk salad."
- Elvis Presley
I was delighted when Krista Nye Nicholas and Tami Ramsay, of Cloth & Kind, asked to introduce a new Mazy Path limited edition, linocut print at the inaugural opening of The Ticking Tent, Benjamin Reynaert and Christina Juarez’s new home and gift show, which took place last month in Sloatsburg, NY. Whether in their interiors or product offerings, Krista and Tami create worlds that are decorative, colorful, and artisanal, and I was thrilled to have Mazy Path prints in the mix.
To create a print that would pay homage to Krista and Tami’s respective Michigan and Georgia roots, I looked for artistic inspiration in native plants that grow abundantly in both locales. This is how I came across pokeweed. A plant that grows throughout the Midwest and the South, pokeweed’s fuchsia stems and cascading, ink-colored berries make it both immediately recognizable (and irresistible to render!).
Pokeweed (and the gray catbirds who love it!). Shown with our Virginia Strawberry wallpaper in color Ochre.
While its name may be lackluster, pokeweed is a charismatic plant with uses that have ranged from culinary to industrial to medicinal. Its leaves were once a common dish amongst foragers: so much so that they were memorialized in a well-known country song, covered by Elvis, called “Polk Salad Annie.” While pokeweed’s high levels of toxicity have dampened people’s appetite for the plant, pokeweed berries remain popular with a wide variety of animals, from songbirds to raccoons, and the plant’s flowers are sought after by insects, such as wasps and the giant leopard moth. Pokeweed also has a significant history as a dye, and recent studies show that pokeberry dye makes fibers used in solar cells more energy absorbent. In addition, pokeweed has long played a role in herbal medicine, and medical researchers are currently studying the plant’s anti-viral properties.
Pokeweed in progress.
Like its source of inspiration, our Pokeweed print has many facets. Made by hand, the print requires three separate blocks to represent four colors, and each color needs to dry fully before the next layer of color can be applied. Pokeweed is made with water-based inks and Japanese mulberry paper, and the subtle variations that result from hand printing make each print one of a kind.
With Tami Ramsay (L) and Krista Nye Nicholas (R) at the Ticking Tent, March 2024. Photo by Diana Racek.
Our Pokeweed print celebrates the dynamism of this remarkable plant and is available for purchase. Thank you to Krista, Tami, and the Cloth & Kind showroom team for inspiring Pokeweed and introducing it to the world!
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Left: Asimina Triloba, Blue
Center: Sambucus Canadensis, Green
Right: Guayaba