What plant is pokeweed? Introducing the herbaceous plant pokeweed

Flowers & Gardening Jan 1, 1970By Emily Carter 0 views

As a child, I often saw a kind of purple-red fruit around the front and back of the house, and girls would also use it to dye their nails. This beautiful plant has a very artistic name, called pokeweed. Come and get to know this plant with the editor.

Phytolaccaceae genus

Phytolaccaceae, Phytolacca genus, Latin scientific name Phytolacca acinosa Roxb

Other names of pokeweed

Zhangliu, large amaranth, mountain radish, Jianzhongxiao, Daoshuilian, Jinqiniang, Zhumuer, Baimuji

Distribution of pokeweed

Pokeweed is widely distributed in the red soil hilly areas south of the Yangtze River, and is mainly produced in North China and Central China. Among the varieties currently distributed in China, the main ones are pokeweed and drooping pokeweed.

Morphological characteristics of pokeweed

Pokeweed is a perennial herbaceous plant, and the surface of the whole plant is hairless. It has a conical fleshy root, relatively thick, with the outer skin of the root appearing light yellow or grayish brown, and the inside yellow-white; the stem of pokeweed is erect, cylindrical, with longitudinal grooves on the surface. The young parts of the stem are green, while the older parts are purple-red, and it is much branched; the leaves are ovate, with a thin papery feel, the leaf tip is acuminate, the base is wedge-shaped and gradually narrowed, and the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves are scattered with tiny white spots, with the midvein raised on the lower surface of the leaf. Pokeweed has a spike inflorescence, blooms in summer and autumn, and the flowers are white. It has eight separate carpels. The berry is purple-black, oblate, and grows in clusters.

Growth environment of pokeweed

Pokeweed has very strong vitality and is distributed in plains, hills, and mountains, and is commonly seen by roadsides and around the front and back of houses. Pokeweed likes warm and humid climate conditions, and the suitable growth temperature is between 14~30°C; after autumn, the aboveground part of pokeweed will wither after the leaves fall, while the underground fleshy root can withstand low temperatures of -15°C, and when it is warm the next year, the fleshy root will sprout and promote the growth of the aboveground part; pokeweed has very strong adaptability to soil and has no special requirements for soil, and basically it can grow in any soil.