American pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
USDA zones4 to 8
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size4 to 10 feet tall3 to 5 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- White , pink , purple
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) is a perennial for pollinator gardens and meadows. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. It sits low on the menu for deer and rabbits. It grows tall and fast, with reddish stems and long clusters of small white flowers that birds and other wildlife feed on. All parts are poisonous to humans, so plant it away from play areas.
Pairs well with Big bluestem, New England aster, and Chokecherry.
Native range
AL, AR, AZ, CA, and 37 more places. See all 41
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV; NB, ON, and QC.