It looks like Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)


edited to say: I'm not Bill but the plant looks like Pokeweed. 🙂 I'll move this over to the Plant Identification Forum where it will get more views and responses.

Pokeweed.

Who's Bill?

@Bigbill?

thank you

I agree. Pokeweed!
Might just be my favorite weed if there can be such a thing?!

@BigBill, what is good about pokeweed? It is invasive in my area and I pull it as soon as I see it. Does it have some redeeming qualities that I am not aware of?

thank you everybody for the Info

I just love it's uses!

When I managed a Nature Preserve on Long Island NY from 1995-2009, it was a popular plant on our guided tours.
It was discovered that one of its 'cosmetic uses' was as an additive in cheap, home made wine. Within a certain demographic here in this country, wine making by homeowners was very popular. Stomping on the grapes with bare feet gave way to little wine presses in people's garages. Anyway when you buy the grapes and made the wine, sometimes the color of the vintage was shall we say disappointing! But we found the hobby winemakers would add poke weed berry juice to improve its appearance! I guess that wine drinkers were happier to try a wine that at least looked good. I always got a kick out of that usage.

We also discovered that the juice of the berries were often used to dye wools, cottons and other fabrics to add that magenta to home spun materials to make earthy clothing. That's kind of a home spun crafty usage.

Lastly I love it as a source of food for wildlife. I my yard it is high on the list of summer-fall food for Robins, Catbirds, Hermit thrushes, Swainsons Thrush, Cardinals and Carolina Wrens to name but a few.
It was just a wonderful addition to our guided field trip program. It opened a lot of visitors minds and imaginations about the Natural Order of things, uses for plants and appreciation for wildlife and our Environment in general!!!

Thanks for the info Bill!

Hey, my pleasure!

Good to know that Bill

I agree with Bill, I like to keep two or three Pokeweed bushes every year in my garden for the birds. The plant can also be very pretty at the different stages of bloom and in the fall the leaves turn lovely colors.

The reason that it is so hard to get rid of, it is tuberous!!!

At my preserve we had a huge, 10 or 12 stem monster that was getting in the way of a bench and an informational display. Just for fun, we dug down into the soil and I have to tell you it was like we were harvesting YAMS 🍠!! Big yams.
They were connected by roots and smaller tubers and I have a funny feeling in that unless you destroy the entire tuber, that sucker will grow back in short order.
Too bad they are not yams. I love sweet potato fries!!

As a matter of fact, I love sweet potato fries too. What a coincidence!!

Just a note: According to the U. S. Forest Service, all parts of the pokeweed plant are poisonous to humans, especially the berries. "Young leaves and stems when properly cooked are edible ." Personally, no thanks.

In East Texas, I grew up eating pokeweed. You have to pare boil the leaves first, drain off the water, then finish it off in bacon grease. It is common in the Southern states.

The seeds/roots are not edible at all.

Concur: poke is my favorite spring green. In addition to the many other uses as a teenager I use to dig those tubers and sell them to a patent medicine company. https://altnature.com/gallery/...

Very interesting info about poke.