Pokeweed sightings spike as its purple berries stand out now
iNaturalist Community
Native Plants
That towering weedy plant with magenta stems and dark berries popping up at the edge of your yard or along a trail is pokeweed, and it's a magnet for birds fueling up on fall migration.
American pokeweed is a native plant that most people spot in late summer when it shoots up tall with bright pink-red stems and clusters of dark purple berries. Right now nearly a thousand people logged sightings of it on a nature app in just one week, which usually happens when a plant hits peak visibility. Birds love the berries, but every part of the plant is toxic to people and pets, so it's a look-don't-touch kind of native.
Key Findings
923 research-grade observations of American pokeweed were logged on iNaturalist in one week
The species ranked among the most-observed plants on the platform during this period
Peak visibility coincides with the plant's late-summer to early-fall fruiting stage
chevron_right Technical Summary
American pokeweed is having a big moment on iNaturalist this week, with 923 verified sightings logged by citizen scientists. The surge shows how visible this tall, purple-berried native plant becomes in late summer and early fall.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) — 923 observations this week
American pokeweed is among the most observed plant species this week with 923 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...