It's low and wide-spread, maybe three feet across this first year. Variegated leaves that were much more vivid lime/yellow than in this fall snapshot, and the berries were preceded by small white flowers.
It's grown immensely this first year, maybe quadrupled in size. I never thought that I'd be the sort of person who (apparently) planted something and then completely lost track of what it was, but middle-age is having its way with me.
Any idea?
Michael.
Its a variegated Phytolacca americana except that the plant is a deciduous fleshy perennial, not woody.
weed, is a nuisance in my garden. I am on constant vigilance trying to prevent it from taking hold. It tends to appear in disturbed soils at the margins of woodlands and in meadows. Wildlife eat the berries and distribute the seeds. All parts are poisons if ingested by humans and livestock except for the very young shoots which can be eaten if they are boiled and the water is changed two or three times. It can be difficult to control as it forms substantial tap roots that are hard to remove. Pieces of the root that are left behind will generate a new plant. Unless the plant is some sterile hybrid, I would be afraid to let the fruit mature for fear of it popping up elsewhere.
I'd be relieved if I didn't plant it; I'd like to think I'm not slipping so much that I have no idea what I've planted in my garden. It might have been a volunteer, although I am in an inner-city area. It established itself quite well in a short time, so your warning will be taken seriously.
Thanks for the ID.
mw.
Thank you for the ID.
mw.
The stuff pops up here and there. I have gotten it substantially under control by preventing it from going to seed. I also keep the shoots cut off as they emerge. Eventually it dies. I'm sure the birds bring in more seeds and that keep it coming back. I have a wooded ravine adjacent to my property as I did where I lived previously. Both areas had the common variety of pokeweed. It has its charms, but I'm afraid that I would be overrun with the stuff if I didn't keep after it.
It is possible that someone in your area planted the variegated version and that it volunteered in your yard. After I posted last time I did a search and found that it is available from places like Plant Delights. The ad copy says that "most of the seedlings will be variegated." Therefore it DOES self-seed. Variegated plants are often not as vigorous as the plain versions. Still, from what you describe, it has grown very fast. If you do a search on "Pokeweed control" you will see that it isn't the easiest thing to get rid of.
You can see information on human poisoning here:
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