Skip to main content
Close

American Pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

Photo by QWMom
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

34.01, -84.59

Field Notes

Description:

The pinkish hue of the stems on this flowering shoot will darken to magenta as the berries develop. Amazingly, you can see the tiny green nodules that will become berries.

This is frequently a troublesome weed with poisonous berries and roots, although emerging shoots can be gathered before the pink color appears, cooked, and eaten as greens. The berry juice was used as a dye by the early colonists and to improve cheap wine.

See the developing berries on this specimen here: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/43789135/

Habitat:

Native Distribution: Ontario to southern Quebec, New England, and New York; south to Florida; west to Texas and Mexico; north to Minnesota.
Native Habitat: Open woods, damp thickets, clearings, roadsides.

Notes:

Spotted on the bank of a wooded detention/retention pond in an office building complex in Kennesaw, GA

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment

Sign in to comment

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon