Phytolacca americana
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- fy-toh-LAK-uh a-mer-ih-KAY-nah
- This plant has medium severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Pokeweed is a herbaceous perennial in the Phytolaccaceae family, native to most of North America and found growing in pastures, recently cleared areas, woodland openings and along fencerows and in wastelands.
It can grow 4 to 10 feet high and 3 to 5 feet wide. It is an aggressive plant that self-seeds easily and can become weedy. The plant grows easily in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. It prefers consistently moist soils but will tolerate short periods of drought. Pokeweed is moderately deer and rabbit resistant.
The leaves are bright green, give off an unpleasant aroma when crushed and the stems are attractive reddish-purple color. White blooms first mature in early summer and continue into early fall. The plant has a thick fleshy taproot, up to 12 inches long and 4 inches thick. Dark blue-black, purple berries mature in the late summer to fall and attract birds. Native bees nest in the dead, hollow stems, so gardeners are encouraged to cut back dead stems to 12 to 24 inches and allow them to remain standing until they disintegrate on their own. Read more about best practices for stem-nesting bees in this NC Extension publication.
Despite its moderately attractive ornamental features, pokeweed is generally considered a weed in most settings. However, leaving a few for the birds is a good idea.
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to mosaic virus. All parts of this plant are poisonous to humans and pets.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- var. rigida
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- var. rigida
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Phytolacca
- Species:
- americana
- Family:
- Phytolaccaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southeastern United States
- Distribution:
- Northern and Central North America.
- Fire Risk Rating:
- medium flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Fruits are eaten by songbirds, like robins, cedar-waxwings, and warblers, small mammals, raccoons, opossums, foxes, and black bears. Songbirds, mourning doves, and small mammals eat the seeds. Dead stems are used by stem-nesting bees.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Weed
- Wildflower
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Creeping
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Description:
- Drooping cluster of green fruit ripens to glossy dark purple-black that attract birds and small mammals. Displays from June to November.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Raceme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Colored Sepals
- Flower Description:
- Racemes of small, white flowers in bloom July through September. Produces flowers that may be up to ¾ of an inch wide along 8” racemes. The flower has five petal-like greenish to white sepals.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The large green leaves (12 inches long up to 7 inches wide) and give off an unpleasant aroma when crushed or bruised. Leaves taper at both ends.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Showy purple stems, stout (up to 2 inches in diameter), smooth.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Insect Pests
- Rabbits
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
- Weedy
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Medium
- Poison Symptoms:
- Causes diarrhea and vomiting. The plant contains substances that cause cell division and can damage chromosomes. These substances can be absorbed through any abrasions in the skin, potentially causing serious blood aberrations, and so it is strongly recommended that the people wear gloves when handling the plant.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- All parts of the plant are poisonous.
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- Yes
- Poison Part:
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Roots
- Seeds
- Stems
