NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details
Phytolacca americana
Pokeweed, American Pokeweed, Great Pokeweed, Pokeberry, Red Ink Plant, Pigeonberry
Scientific Name: |
Phytolacca americana |
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Genus: |
Phytolacca |
Species Epithet: |
americana |
Common Name: |
Pokeweed, American Pokeweed, Great Pokeweed, Pokeberry, Red Ink Plant, Pigeonberry |
Plant Type |
Herb/Wildflower |
Life Cycle |
Perennial |
Plant Family |
Phytolaccaceae (Pokeweed Family) |
Native/Alien: |
NC Native |
Size: |
3-6 ft., 6-12 ft. |
Bloom Color(s): |
White, Pink |
Light: |
Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day |
Soil Moisture: |
Dry, Moist |
Bloom Time: |
May, June, July, August, September, October, November |
Growing Area: |
Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain |
Habitat Description: |
“In a wide variety of natural and disturbed habitats, usually associated with exposed mineral soil” (Weakley 2015). Common throughout NC. |
Leaf Arrangement: |
Alternate |
Leaf Retention: |
Deciduous |
Leaf Type: |
Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like |
Leaf Form: |
Simple |
Life Cycle: |
Perennial |
Wildlife Value: |
Important for Wildlife |
Landscape Value: |
Not Recommended for home landscapes |
Notes: |
"An abundant 'native weed' occurring throughout e. North America, P. americana is widely dispersed by birds and quickly colonizes exposed mineral soil even in undisturbed forests, such as on tree- fall tip-up mounds or flood scours. It is most abundant, however, as a weed of urban, suburban, and agricultural disturbances. The berries and mature stems are poisonous; the young stems have been used as a potherb and the purple berries as a source of ink" (Weakley 2015). |
Plants Tom Harville |
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New buds Tom Harville |
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Blooms just opening Tom Harville |
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Blooms & green fruit Tom Harville |
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Green fruit & Ripe fruit Tom Harville |
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Old Fruit Tom Harville |
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Old Plant Tom Harville |
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Tall plant with long racemes of white flowers and pink colored stems Macon County, NC Bettina Darveaux |
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Senesced plant with remaining berries in November Orange County, NC Bettina Darveaux |
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Links: |
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