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Phytolacca americana
Phytolacca americana L.
American Pokeweed, Great Pokeweed, Pokeweed, Pokeberry, Red Ink Plant, Pigeonberry
Phytolaccaceae (Pokeweed Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: PHAM4
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
A tall, large-leaved, branching plant with reddish stems and long clusters of small, white flowers.
A weedy plant often occurring in waste areas that is an important food source for birds and other wildlife. Because all parts of the plant are poisonous to humans, its potential ethnobotanical uses are not treated here.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 20 feet tall, often much shorter.
Leaf: Green
Fruit: Purple
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , PinkBloom Time: Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , AZ , CA , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , OR , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WVCanada: NB , ON , QC
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.
Growing Conditions
Water Use: MediumLight Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Conditions Comments: Pokeweed has a perennial root stock, and also reseeds. It proliferates in disturbed areas.
Benefit
Use Food: EDIBLE PARTS: Young tender leaves eaten only as thoroughly cooked greens (in two waters). Cooked berries are safe for making pies. Berries, roots and mature plants are poisonous, therefore, only use as new, young growth. Do not cut below ground level to avoid using parts of poisonous roots. Any red-tinged material should be discarded.PREPARATION: Wash young shoots thoroughly. Peel and parboil tender young shoots (less than eight inches) in two changes of water several minutes each. Boil in a third water until tender and serve like asparagus. Young stalks less than one foot tall, with leaves removed, and before red tinged, can be cut and rolled in corn meal and fried like okra. They can also be pickled. Young leaves taken from stalks less than one foot tall can be parboiled in two changes of water for several minutes each and boiled in a third water until tender. To freeze, parboil leaves twice, cook, pat dry and place them in plastic bags. (Poisonous Plants of N.C.)
The berry juice was used as a dye by the early colonists and to improve cheap wine. (Niering)
Warning: POISONOUS PARTS: All parts, mainly the roots; shoots, leaves, and berries when fresh and in quantity. Highly toxic, may be fatal if eaten. Toxic Principle: Phytolaccatoxin and related triterpene saponins, an alkaloid (phytolaccin), and histamines. Medicinal: Amerindians used berry tea for rheumatism, arthritis, dysentery; poulticed berries on sore breasts, root poulticed for rheumatism, neuralgic pains, bruises; wash used for sprains, swellings; leaf preparations once used as an expectorant. (Weiner) Emetic and cathartic, poulticed for bleeding, pimples and black heads, juice may cause dermatitis. (Foster & Duke)
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds
Deer Resistant: High
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Mr. Smarty Plants says
Plant Identification
September 24, 2008
I have a single stem red vine with purple berries growing on it. It is in a cluster of bushes and gets mostly morning and early afternoon sun. The berries also have small bumps at the stem. I have ...
view the full question and answer
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | FACU | FAC | FACU | FACU | FACU | FACU | FACU |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Pineywoods Native Plant Center - Nacogdoches, TX
Bibliography
Bibref 1207 - Earth Medicine, Earth Food (1990) Michael A. WeinerBibref 417 - Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America (2000) Foster, S. & J. A. Duke
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
From the Archive
Wildflower Newsletter 1992 VOL. 9, NO.6 - Architectural Plans for new Facility Taking Shape, Native Plants Provide Local C...Additional resources
USDA: Find Phytolacca americana in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Phytolacca americana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Phytolacca americana
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-10-20Research By: NPC