This towering purple-berried plant is popping up everywhere right now
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
That tall plant with magenta stems and dark purple berry clusters at the edge of your yard or the trailhead you walk past is pokeweed, and knowing how to identify it matters since the berries and roots are toxic to humans and pets even though birds eat the fruit safely.
Pokeweed is a big, eye-catching native plant that shoots up several feet tall each summer, with bright pink-purple stems and clusters of dark berries that birds love. Right now it's having a moment on iNaturalist, with people logging hundreds of sightings this week, likely because late summer is when its berries ripen and it becomes impossible to miss. It's easy to spot once you know what to look for, but it's worth admiring from a distance since all parts of the plant are poisonous if eaten by people.
Key Findings
834 research-grade observations of American pokeweed were logged on iNaturalist in a single week
The plant ranks among the most-observed species on the platform during this period
Timing coincides with peak berry ripening, which drives increased visibility and citizen reporting in late summer
chevron_right Technical Summary
American pokeweed is showing up everywhere right now, with over 800 verified sightings logged this week alone on iNaturalist. Its surge in observations signals late-summer fruiting season for this striking native plant.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) — 834 observations this week
American pokeweed is among the most observed plant species this week with 834 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Phytolacca americana, also known as American pokeweed, pokeweed, poke sallet, pokeberry, dragonberries, pigeonberry weed, and inkberry, is a poisonous, herbaceous perennial plant in the pokeweed family Phytolaccaceae. This pokeweed grows 1 to 3 metres. It has simple leaves on green to red or purp...