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Wild flowers of the north-eastern states

Chapter 49: POKEWEED FAMILY. PHYTOLACCACEÆ.
By Ellen Miller
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Nature/Gardening/Animals

About This Book

This illustrated manual gathers 308 common wildflowers of the northeastern United States, each drawn life-size and accompanied by plain-language descriptions emphasizing habit, color, and growth rather than technical dissection. Organized by floral families in the sequence of Gray's Manual and arranged for seasonal bloom, entries include leaves, stems, and often whole growth, with occasional shrubs, vines, and fruit shown where notable. Aimed at amateur naturalists, it favors recognizable traits and folk names to ease identification, offers practical notes on variations and habitat, and pairs accurate botanical classification with accessible, pictorial presentation.

POKEWEED FAMILY.
PHYTOLACCACEÆ.

Pokeberry.Phytolacca decandra.
Garget.
Pigeon-berry.

Found in meadows and waysides, from July to September.

A plant, from 5 to 9 feet high, with many branches and leaves; the stalk is stout, and large (from 1 to 2, or more, inches in diameter), and round; it is hard-fibred and smooth; in color a dull crimson.

The large leaf is oval, tapering to the tip, and set on a very short stem; the texture is exceedingly fine, and smooth, and the color a rather dark and grave green. The arrangement is alternate.

The small 5-parted flower is white, tinted on the outside with crimson; the seed-box in the center is green. The flowers, on short, pale crimson foot-stems, grow in elongated terminal clusters upon crimson stems.

The blossoms begin to open at the base of the cluster and continue upward, leaving behind the partly formed berries; when ripe they form a cluster of blue-black fruit, smooth-skinned, and with an abundant crimson juice. The Pokeberry is a plant of homely gesture and a rather strong odor, redeemed by its luxuriant growth, and the fine quality of its foliage. The berries are favorites of children who squeeze them to use their deep magenta-crimson juice for writing and painting and dyeing purposes.