Pokeweed sightings surge as foragers and naturalists take notice
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
That towering plant with the magenta stems and dark berries showing up along your fence line or roadside walk is toxic to touch carelessly but has fed birds and fascinated foragers for generations, and now it's one of the most-spotted plants in the country.
Pokeweed is a tall, dramatic-looking native plant with hot pink stems and clusters of dark purple berries that show up in late summer. This week nearly 900 people logged sightings of it on iNaturalist, making it one of the most talked-about plants in the citizen-science community right now. It's a great one to learn to identify, since the berries and roots are poisonous to people and pets even though birds eat the berries without issue.
Key Findings
884 research-grade observations of Phytolacca americana logged in a single week
Ranked among the top trending species on iNaturalist this week
Timing aligns with peak late-summer fruiting, when the plant's berries and pink stems are most visible
chevron_right Technical Summary
American pokeweed is having a big moment on iNaturalist this week, with 884 research-grade sightings logged by citizen scientists across its range.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) — 884 observations this week
American pokeweed is among the most observed plant species this week with 884 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...