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).
Can anyone tell me why this site exists? I’m not being a smart ass,I just don’t understand the importance!
gassyhalibut
One day I am going to be first to comment on one of these identifications, and then I am going to go make love to my wife harder than I ever have, which still isn’t very hard, because I am a gentle and tender lover.
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Poke weed
r/itsalwayspokeweed
A certain pokey kind of weed
r/itsalwayspokeweed never miss
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)
Pokeweed. Don’t eat the berries
Can anyone tell me why this site exists? I’m not being a smart ass,I just don’t understand the importance!
One day I am going to be first to comment on one of these identifications, and then I am going to go make love to my wife harder than I ever have, which still isn’t very hard, because I am a gentle and tender lover.