Are American Pokeweed Berries Poisonous?

Are Pokeweed Berries Safe to Eat?

Courtesy Sharyn Madison

“Can you identify this berry-producing shrub that appeared in my backyard? Are the fruits bird-friendly?” asks Sharyn Madison of Cortland, New York.

Melinda Myers: These beautiful mystery berries are the fruit of American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana). A visiting bird likely passed along this plant. Pokeweed berries are eaten by a variety of songbirds that hang out in thickets and woodland areas, as well as mammals, including raccoons, opossums and gray foxes. You may also find that several flies, some wasps and Halictid (sweat) bees frequently visit the flowers. However, the berries are poisonous to humans. All parts of the plant are toxic if not consumed at the right stage of growth or prepared properly.

Plant Gin Fizz Juniper for a bush bursting with berries.

Where to Find a Pokeweed Plant

Courtesy Linda Kuehn

Look for these plants growing in open woods, damp thickets, clearings, roadsides and disturbed sites. Pokeweed is native in much of North America (except for certain western regions), from Ontario to southern Quebec, New England and New York, west to Minnesota and south to Florida, Texas and Mexico, Melinda says.

Attract more birds with a silky dogwood shrub.

Wildlife Benefits

Shutterstock / CEW

Gray catbirds and northern mockingbirds love pokeweed, but be careful where you plant it, as it is invasive in some regions.

“My birds give pokeweed two thumbs up!” says reader Ginger Brandt of Columbia, South Carolina.

Plant a black chokeberry shrub for berry-loving birds.

Backyard tip: Weeds torment many backyards, and simply seeing weed in a name may make you run the other way. But some plants, such as milkweed and sneezeweed, are often beneficial to wildlife and definitely worth a second look at the garden center.

Next, find out if milkweed is poisonous to people and pets.