The Plant Birds Can’t Seem to Live Without
When you hear the word “weed,” you probably think of pesky plants that do little more than crowd out your tomatoes or take over your flower beds. But not every so-called weed is a villain. Some are unsung heroes of the landscape.
Take American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), for example. This tall, flashy perennial isn’t just another roadside nuisance—it’s a powerhouse for wildlife, a cultural icon, and even a subject of modern science.
How to Spot Pokeweed in the Wild
Pokeweed doesn’t exactly hide in the background. It grows tall—sometimes up to ten feet—with stems that blush bright red or fuchsia. Those thick, hollow stems even provide little nesting spots for native bees. Its leaves are broad, smooth, and can stretch almost a foot long.
By summer, pokeweed shows off with clusters of pink-tinged flowers, and by fall, it’s dripping with shiny black-purple berries. Those berries once made dyes, inks, and even a touch of color for wine back in the day.