Pokeberry (Phytolacca americana) is also known as pokeweed, poke salad, scoke, pigeon berry and inkberry. It is an herbaceous perennial weed that can grow to a height of 8 to 12 feet and width of 3 to 6 feet in Sunset’s Climate Zones 4 through 25. It has burgundy stems, 6- to 12-inch long leaves and 6- to 10-inch long racemes of white flowers in the summer. The flowers give way to green berries which gradually ripen to almost black and are eaten by birds.
Propagation from Seed
Collect a pint of ripened berries in the fall. Wear rubber gloves when handling the berries. Place them in a pan or large glass dish. Smash the berries to expose the seeds. Fill the container with water and let the smashed berries soak undisturbed for three to four days.
Stir the water gently to separate the seeds from the pulp and berry skins. Let it sit for a few minutes to allow the seeds to sink to the bottom of the container. Pour the water off and pick the seeds out of the container. Put the seeds into a clean container and wash as much pulp off as possible.
Spread the seeds out on newspaper or paper towel to air dry. Wrap the dry seeds in a fresh, dry paper towel, place them in a plastic baggie and seal the baggie. Store them at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit for three months. This chilling period is necessary for seed germination.
Spread the seeds on nutrient-rich garden soil in early spring where they will be exposed to 4 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. Cover them with a very thin layer of loose soil. Space multiple rows 4 feet apart. Water them as often as necessary to keep the soil consistently moist. Thin the seedlings to 3 feet apart within each row when they are 3 to 4 inches tall.
Propagation from Root Cuttings
Dig up the fibrous roots of an established pokeberry plant in the winter or early spring with a dirt shovel. Cut 6-inch sections of root with hand pruners.
Plant each section of root in a container of soil-based potting mix at the same depth they were growing previously if you dig them in the winter. Plant them directly in nutrient-rich garden soil in a partially sunny or sunny location if you dig them in the spring.
Keep the soil consistently moist until the new stems are several inches high. Transplant the seedlings from their containers into the garden in early spring.
Things You Will Need
- Rubber gloves
- Pan or glass dish
- Newspaper or paper towel
- Paper bag
- Dirt shovel
- Hand pruners
- Container with drain holes
- Soil-based potting mix
- The roots, berries, seeds and stems of pokeberry plants are poisonous to humans and animals if ingested. The berries are not toxic to birds.
- Perennial Vegetables: Mediterranean and Mild Subtropical
- United States Department of Agriculture: Natural Resources Conservation Service: Plants Profile: Phytolacca americana L.
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: EDIS: Pokeweed--Phytolacca americana L.
- Floridata: Phytolacca americana
- West Virginia University: Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design: Poisonous Plants of the Southern United States
- University of Illinois Extension: The Bulletin: Pokeweed Biology and Control in Corn and Soybean
- Ozark Botanical Garden: Ozark Seed Bank: One Garden: Medicinal Plant Database: Phytolacca americana