Pokeweed sightings dip slightly but still dominate this week
iNaturalist Community
Phenology
If you've noticed a tall weedy plant with hot-pink stems and clusters of dark berries along fences or roadsides, you're seeing the same plant thousands of other citizen scientists are logging right now, and every observation you submit helps track how this native species is shifting with the season.
Pokeweed is that tall, floppy plant with bright magenta stems and strings of purple-black berries you see taking over ditches and forest edges in fall. So many people are photographing and logging it on iNaturalist that it's one of the most-recorded plants in the country this week, even though sightings dipped a bit from last week. The whole plant is toxic to humans and pets, but birds love the berries and spread the seeds everywhere, which is part of why it shows up so often.
Key Findings
605 pokeweed observations were logged on iNaturalist across the US in the past 7 days
That's a decrease of 142 observations (down from 747) compared to the prior 7-day period
Pokeweed remains among the most-observed plant species in the country despite the weekly decline
chevron_right Technical Summary
American pokeweed observations on iNaturalist dropped to 605 this week from 747 the week before, but it's still one of the most-spotted plants in the US right now as its signature purple-black berries and magenta stems peak before frost.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) — 605 observations this week
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) is a species in the family Phytolaccaceae. iNaturalist users recorded 605 observations of it in the United States in the 7 days before today, among the most...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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