I noticed these starting to fruit a week or so ago. I’m located in central IL and the weather has been cooling so I was surprised to see something fruiting! This one shows some not completely ripe yet to hopefully help ID better. Thank you!
by CheapTradition2101
8 Comments
American Pokeweed, Phytolacca americana.
its always pokeweed. dont eat em! (hello, bot in my replies, i love you)
As PP said, pokeweed. Birds love the fruit, so if you want magenta spots on exterior solid surfaces, let the plants alone. Otherwise, I’d suggest cutting them down now.
You’ve got a healthy Tree of Heaven too
good for birds-poisonous to animals and humans!
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) – native and very valuable for wildlife.
It’s a host plant for several species of moths (including the giant leopard moth), and the berries are liked by birds, particularly songbirds. The flowers attract a wide variety of pollinators, and the hollow stems dry out during the cold months to become good shelter for overwintering insects like bees. The pink/magenta color of the stems has earned it some limited use as an ornamental.
It should be noted that it’s poisonous to mammals if eaten raw, and the sap is a skin irritant. Some folks can also get contact dermatitis from touching it with bare skin, but it’s not a common reaction. It’s aggressive in disturbed areas since those are the conditions that it’s adapted to, and it’s invasive outside of its native range in places like the West Coast and Europe.
It shouldn’t be confused with Indian pokeweed (Phytolacca acinosa), which is invasive in both Europe and North America. It can be identified by its upright fruit/flower clusters and lobed fruits (American pokeweed berries are round/spherical when mature).
[Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)](https://w.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/pokeweed.htm)
r/itsalwayspokeweed
Bird paint berry bush!