NOTES: Perennial, up to 10 feet tall. Flowers lack petals, having five greenish-white sepals and a strong, unpleasant scent. Dark purple berries are poisonous, but toxins are not present in young shoots as they break through the ground in spring, and these are edible.
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Pokeweed
Genus species:
Phytolacca americana
Common Name:
Pokeweed
Family Name:
Phytolaccaceae
Perennial herbs to 9 feet; leaves alternate, simple, entire; flowers bisexual, regular, in racemes; fruit a juicy, purplish berry.
Seed Type:
Angiosperm
Origin:
Native: native to North America. Non-native: not native to North America. Introduced Native: native to North America, but not Rowe Woods.
* Definitions based on the USDA terminology
Native
Category:
Wildflower
Flower Color:
White
CNC Habitat:
Krippendorf Arboretum Herb Wall
Identified by:
A. Swanson
Months in Bloom:
The highlighted month(s) in this chart indicate when the plant has been observed blooming.