pokeweed plant

Pokeweed – Phytolacca americana

Phytolacca americana

L.Phytolaccaceae (Pokeweed family)

MI Status

Native

Life cycle

Erect, branched tap rooted perennial.

Leaves

Alternate, hairless, broadly oval, lance- to egg-shaped with smooth to slightly wavy leaf margins.

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.

Reproduction

Seeds. Often dispersed by birds.

Pokeweed plant
Pokeweed plant
Pokeweed flower
Pokeweed flower
Pokeweed fruit
Pokeweed fruit
Young pokeweed plant
Young pokeweed plant
Pokeweed seedling
Pokeweed seedling

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