Pokeweed sightings dip slightly as fall observation season winds down
iNaturalist Community
Phenology
Those tall stalks with purple-black berries showing up at the edge of your yard or along the trail are pokeweed, a native plant that's toxic to touch and eat but a magnet for migrating songbirds right now.
Pokeweed is a big, weedy native plant with bright pink stems and clusters of dark purple berries that birds love. Lots of people on iNaturalist have been photographing and logging it this week, 526 times in the US alone, though that's a bit less than the 641 sightings the week before. The drop probably just means the showiest berry stage is starting to pass as the season turns colder.
Key Findings
526 pokeweed observations logged in the US over the past 7 days
That's a decrease of 115 observations, down from 641 the prior week
Pokeweed remains among the most frequently observed plants nationally on the platform
chevron_right Technical Summary
American pokeweed is one of the most-observed plants on iNaturalist this week, with 526 sightings logged across the US, though that's down from 641 the week before as the berry display starts to fade going into late fall.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) — 526 observations this week
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) is a species in the family Phytolaccaceae. iNaturalist users recorded 526 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.
Species Mentioned
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