Pokeweed
June 12, 2015
Phytolacca americana L. Phytolaccaceae (Pokeweed family)
Life cycle
Erect, branched taprooted perennial.
Pokeweed plant (left) and young pokeweed plant (right).
Leaves
Alternate, hairless, broadly oval, lance- to egg-shaped with smooth to slightly wavy leaf margins.
Pokeweed seedling.
Stems
Smooth, succulent, herbaceous, predominantly reddish and branched multiple times without a central stem, reaching up to 9 feet in height.
Flowers and fruit
Greenish white to pink flowers yield erect to nodding, hanging clusters of conspicuous, deep purple to black berries when mature. Berries are poisonous, and berry juice will easily stain.
Mature pokeweed berries.
Reproduction
Seeds. Often dispersed by birds.
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