Pokeweed

Pokeweed

Phytolacca americana L.

Phytolaccaceae (Pokeweed Family)

seedlings ▲ ▼

young shoot emerging from rootstock in spring/summer ▲

young plant ▲

plant with flower buds ▲

purple stems on plant-- also flowers, immature fruit visible ▲

mature plants▲ ▼

flowers and fruit ▲ ▼

Pokeweed:

herbaceous, simple perennial weed with very large tap root with age
has oval shaped green leaves with hook on tip, purplish stems 3-8' tall
produces drooping racemes of white flowers followed by black/purple berries
young leaves edible for humans; mature leaves, stem, roots, fruit poisonous
reproduces rapidly by seed spread by birds which can eat fruit
found in cultivated fields, pastures, waste areas, wild areas; is somewhat glyphosate-tolerant