Pokeweed sightings surge on nature-tracking app this week
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
That towering purple-stemmed plant with the dark berries popping up along fences and disturbed soil in your neighborhood is pokeweed, and its late-summer fruiting makes it one of the easiest native plants to spot and log right now.
Pokeweed is a tall, fast-growing native plant with bright pink stems and clusters of dark purple berries that birds love. Right now it's fruiting heavily, which makes it easy to notice, and that's why so many people are photographing and logging it on iNaturalist this week. It's a good reminder to look closer at the 'weeds' growing in vacant lots and yard edges.
Key Findings
902 research-grade observations of Phytolacca americana were logged in a single week
Pokeweed ranked among the most-observed plant species on iNaturalist during this period
High observation counts align with the plant's late-summer to early-fall fruiting stage, which boosts visibility
chevron_right Technical Summary
American pokeweed is having a big moment on iNaturalist this week, with 902 research-grade sightings logged by citizen scientists across its range.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) — 902 observations this week
American pokeweed is among the most observed plant species this week with 902 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...