Pigeonberry (Phytolacca americana, Sp. pl. 1:441. 1753)

Family: Phytolaccaceae

Author: L.

Bibliography: Sp. pl. 1:441. 1753

Year: 1753

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Phytolacca

Vegetable: True

Observations: E. Canada to Mexico

Description

Pigeonberry, scientifically known as Phytolacca americana, is a distinctive and versatile plant that has garnered attention across various regions from Eastern Canada to Mexico. As a member of the Phytolaccaceae family, Pigeonberry is recognized for its robust nature and its broad geographical distribution, evidencing its adaptability to different environmental conditions. This plant was first described in 1753, with its scientific classification etched into botanical history by the esteemed botanist Carl Linnaeus.

Pigeonberry exhibits an imposing presence, often growing in dense clusters which can dominate the underbrush of forests or thrive in open fields. The plant’s physical structure is characterized by its substantial height, vibrant green foliage, and clusters of deep magenta berries, which appear in late summer to early autumn, adding a splash of color to the landscape. Despite their appealing appearance, the berries, along with other parts of the plant, contain toxic compounds and should not be ingested without proper knowledge and preparation.

Ecologically, Pigeonberry plays a critical role in its native range. The plant’s nectar-rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies, contributing to the local biodiversity. Additionally, its berries provide a seasonal food source for birds, which in turn help in the dispersion of the seeds, facilitating the plant’s propagation.

Historically, indigenous peoples and early settlers found several uses for Pigeonberry, ranging from dyes derived from its berries to medicinal applications. However, given the toxic nature of its components, such usage necessitated careful and knowledgeable handling to mitigate any adverse effects.

In modern times, Pigeonberry is often appreciated for its ornamental value, adding a touch of wild beauty to gardens and natural landscapes. It also serves as a subject for botanical studies due to its distinctive properties and historical significance. While handling the plant, caution is advised to avoid issues related to its toxicity.

Overall, Phytolacca americana stands out as a plant of considerable interest due to its environmental role, historical uses, and distinctive appearance, making it a noteworthy subject both for casual nature enthusiasts and professional botanists alike.

Common Names

Eng: american pokeweed, common pokeweed, inkberry, pigeonberry, poke, pokeberry, pokeroot, pokeweed, virginia poke, virginian pokeweed
Deu: amerikanische kermesbeere, kermesbeere
Ron: carmaz
Ita: cremesina uva-turca, cremesina uva turca
Spa: hierba carmin, arbre de tinta, baga-moira, belladona borda, escopetes, espinacas de america, fitolaca, grana encarnada, hierba carmín, hierba de la oblea, raim de sant salvi, raim de guilla, raim de l´escopeta, raim de moro, rem de moro, tinta, tintilla, uvas de américa, uvas de indias
Heb: phytolaca americanit, פיטולקה
Fra: raisin d’amérique, raisin d’amérique, teinturier, phytolaque d’amérique, phytolaque damérique, teinturière
Mlt: russett
Nld: westerse karmozijnbes
Hun: a. karmazsinbogyó, amerikai alkörmös
Ell: agriostafida
Swe: amerikanskt kermesbär, scharlakansbär
Por: caruru-bravo, erva-dos-cachos-da-india, fitolaca, fruto-de-pombo, tinge-ovos, tintureira, uva-da-america, uva-dos-passarinhos, uva-dos-tintureiros, vinagreira
Ces: lí
En: Pigeonberry, Poke, Pokeberry, Pokeroot, Pokeweed, Virginia poke, American pokeweed, Common pokeweed, American Nightshade, Cancer Jalap, Coakum, Garget, Inkberry, Pigeon Berry, Pocan Bush, Poke Root, Red Ink Plant, Redweed, Scoke, Virginian pokeweed, American Poke, Common pokeberry, Red stem pokeweed
Ar: صبغة أمريكية
Az: Amerika çiçəbaharı
Bg: Американски винобой
Ca: Raïm de moro, Belladona borda
Zh: Chui xu shang lu, 美洲商陸
Co: Uva di sarpe
Hr: Američki kermes
Cs: Líčidlo americké, Lí
Da: Amerikansk Kermesbær
Nl: Westerse karmozijnbes, Amerikaanse Karmozijnbes
Fi: Lännenkermesmarja
Fr: Raisin d’Amérique, Teinturière, Faux Vin, Herbe à la Laque, Teinturier, Vigne de Judée, Phytolaque damérique, Épinard de Cayenne, Épinard des Indes, Raisin d’Amérique, Phytolaque d’Amérique, Phytolaque américaine
De: Kermesbeere, Amerikanische Kermesbeere, Asiatische Kermesbeere
El: Agriostafida
He: Phytolaca americanit, פיטולקה, פיטולקה אמריקנית
Hu: Amerikai alkörmös, A. karmazsinbogyó
It: Amaranto, Cremesina Uva-turca, Uva da colorare, Cremesina uva turca, Fitolacca, Vite di Spagna, Erba cremesina
Ko: 미국자리공
Lt: Amerikinė fitolaka
Mk: Американски крмез
Mt: Russett
Fa: سرخاب کولی
Pl: Szkarłatka amerykańska
Pt: Baga-moira, Tintureira, Caruru-bravo, Erva-dos-cachos-da-india, Fitolaca, Fruto-de-pombo, Tinge-ovos, Uva-da-america, Uva-dos-passarinhos, Uva-dos-tintureiros, Vinagreira
Ro: Carmaz
Ru: Лаконос американский
Sr: Винобојка
Es: Hierba carmín, Fitolaca, Hierba carmin, Arbre de tinta, Baga-moira, Belladona borda, Escopetes, Espinacas de America, Grana encarnada, Hierba de la oblea, Raim de Sant Salvi, Raim de guilla, Raim de l´escopeta, Raim de moro, Rem de moro, Tinta, Tintilla, Uvas de América, Uvas de Indias, Hierba carmen, Phytolacca americana, Bledo
Sv: Amerikanskt kermesbär, Scharlakansbär
Zh-tw: 美洲商陸
Th: พิษลักษณ์
Tr: Şekerciboyası
Uk: Лаконос американський

Synonyms

Distribution

• Alabama (native)
• Arizona (native)
• Arkansas (native)
• California (native)
• Connecticut (native)
• Delaware (native)
• District of Columbia (native)
• Florida (native)
• Georgia (native)
• Illinois (native)
• Indiana (native)
• Iowa (native)
• Kansas (native)
• Kentucky (native)
• Louisiana (native)
• Maine (native)
• Maryland (native)
• Masachusettes (native)
• Mexico Central (native)
• Mexico Gulf (native)
• Mexico Northeast (native)
• Mexico Northwest (native)
• Mexico Southwest (native)
• Michigan (native)
• Minnesota (native)
• Mississippi (native)
• Missouri (native)
• Nebraska (native)
• New Brunswick (native)
• New Hampshire (native)
• New Jersey (native)
• New Mexico (native)
• New York (native)
• North Carolina (native)
• Ohio (native)
• Oklahoma (native)
• Ontario (native)
• Oregon (native)
• Pennsylvania (native)
• Québec (native)
• Rhode I. (native)
• South Carolina (native)
• Tennessee (native)
• Texas (native)
• Vermont (native)
• Virginia (native)
• West Virginia (native)
• Wisconsin (native)
• Afghanistan (introduced)
• Albania (introduced)
• Algeria (introduced)
• Argentina Northeast (introduced)
• Austria (introduced)
• Azores (introduced)
• Baleares (introduced)
• Bermuda (introduced)
• Bolivia (introduced)
• Bulgaria (introduced)
• Canary Is. (introduced)
• Cape Provinces (introduced)
• Cape Verde (introduced)
• China North-Central (introduced)
• China South-Central (introduced)
• China Southeast (introduced)
• Corse (introduced)
• Cyprus (introduced)
• Czechoslovakia (introduced)
• East Aegean Is. (introduced)
• France (introduced)
• Germany (introduced)
• Greece (introduced)
• Hungary (introduced)
• Iran (introduced)
• Italy (introduced)
• Japan (introduced)
• Korea (introduced)
• Kriti (introduced)
• Krym (introduced)
• KwaZulu-Natal (introduced)
• Lebanon-Syria (introduced)
• Lesotho (introduced)
• Liberia (introduced)
• Madeira (introduced)
• Mauritius (introduced)
• Morocco (introduced)
• Nepal (introduced)
• Netherlands (introduced)
• New South Wales (introduced)
• North Caucasus (introduced)
• Northern Provinces (introduced)
• Palestine (introduced)
• Portugal (introduced)
• Primorye (introduced)
• Queensland (introduced)
• Romania (introduced)
• Réunion (introduced)
• Sardegna (introduced)
• Sicilia (introduced)
• Spain (introduced)
• Switzerland (introduced)
• Transcaucasus (introduced)
• Tunisia (introduced)
• Turkey (introduced)
• Turkey-in-Europe (introduced)
• Ukraine (introduced)
• Uruguay (introduced)
• Uzbekistan (introduced)
• Vietnam (introduced)
• Yugoslavia (introduced)
• Zaïre (introduced)

Additional Images

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Fruit

Taken Sep 22, 2019 by Xiberta Claudia (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 16, 2018 by kerilia (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 9, 2017 by Creu Lopez (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 8, 2017 by Tara Conler (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 2, 2017 by Tara Conler (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Jun 26, 2019 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 26, 2019 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 22, 2019 by Xiberta Claudia (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 26, 2019 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 26, 2019 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Aug 16, 2017 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 16, 2017 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 26, 2019 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 26, 2019 by Dieter Wagner (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taken Jan 25, 2022 by Monteiro Henrique (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 10, 2019 by Max Max (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 1, 2017 by Creu Lopez (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 9, 2021 by Manū (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Sep 15, 2017 by Pep Secem (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 7, 2021 by Dabronzo Carlo (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 15, 2017 by Pep Secem (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 16, 2017 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Oct 15, 2022 by Esther Lischer (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 16, 2019 by Bruno Andrieu (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 11, 2019 by Huerta Ángeles (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 3, 2021 by Nashawannuck (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 9, 2021 by Manū (cc-by-sa)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/3084015)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:323290-2)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Phytolacca americana L.)

Specifications

Growth form: Single Stem

Growth habit: Forb/herb

Growth rate: Rapid

Growth

Ph maximum: 8.0

Ph minimum: 4.7

Light: 6

Atmospheric humidity: 6

Bloom months: [‘jun’, ‘jul’, ‘aug’, ‘sep’]

Soil nutriments: 7