r/itsalwayspokeweed and what looks like tree of heaven mix in there
TedTheHappyGardener
Pokeweed, Phytolacca americana.
Common-Spray8859
Poison plant beware!
AsiminaBlooms
Yeah its pokeweed. I’ll add if that plants been there long enough they get HUGE roots will likely send more shoots out if enough of it is left, good luck
A_Lountvink
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) – native and very valuable for wildlife
It’s a host plant for several species of moths (including the giant leopard moth), and the berries are liked by birds. The flowers attract a wide variety of pollinators, and the hollow stems dry out during the cold months to become good shelter for overwintering insects like bees. The pink/magenta color of the stems has earned it some limited use as an ornamental.
It should be noted that it’s poisonous to mammals if eaten raw, and the sap is a skin irritant. Some folks can also get contact dermatitis from touching it with bare skin, but it’s not a common reaction. It’s aggressive in disturbed areas since those are the conditions that it’s adapted to, and it’s invasive outside of its native range (eastern North America) in places like the West Coast and Europe.
There’s some growing near my house that’s just tall enough to stand under, and I love how it looks.
6 Comments
Polk ..
r/itsalwayspokeweed and what looks like tree of heaven mix in there
Pokeweed, Phytolacca americana.
Poison plant beware!
Yeah its pokeweed. I’ll add if that plants been there long enough they get HUGE roots will likely send more shoots out if enough of it is left, good luck
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) – native and very valuable for wildlife
It’s a host plant for several species of moths (including the giant leopard moth), and the berries are liked by birds. The flowers attract a wide variety of pollinators, and the hollow stems dry out during the cold months to become good shelter for overwintering insects like bees. The pink/magenta color of the stems has earned it some limited use as an ornamental.
It should be noted that it’s poisonous to mammals if eaten raw, and the sap is a skin irritant. Some folks can also get contact dermatitis from touching it with bare skin, but it’s not a common reaction. It’s aggressive in disturbed areas since those are the conditions that it’s adapted to, and it’s invasive outside of its native range (eastern North America) in places like the West Coast and Europe.
There’s some growing near my house that’s just tall enough to stand under, and I love how it looks.