General Landscape Uses:
Can be used in natural landscapes and for habitat restorations but can be very weedy and difficult to control.
Ecological Restoration Notes: Although short-lived and somewhat untidy, pokeweed can be useful as temporary canopy in hammock restoration projects.
Availability:
Grown by enthusiasts.
Description: Medium to large shrub-like herb with purplish red stems.
Dimensions: About 4-8 feet in height or sometimes more. Often as broad as tall.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Range:
Widespread in North America (including Mexico) south to the Monroe County Keys; introduced and escaped elsewhere. Very rare in the Monroe County Keys and perhaps absent south of Key Largo.
Map of select IRC data from peninsular Florida.
Habitats: Forests and disturbed sites.
Soils: Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with humusy top layer.
Nutritional Requirements: Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive.
Salt Water Tolerance: Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water.
Salt Wind Tolerance: High; can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without significant injury.
Drought Tolerance: High; does not require any supplemental water once established.
Light Requirements: Full sun.
Flower Color: Pink to white with a green center.
Flower Characteristics: Semi-showy racemes.
Flowering Season: All year.
Fruit: Juicy purple berry.
Wildlife and Ecology: A major colonizer of disturbed sites and tree fall gaps. Provides food for birds.
Horticultural Notes: Can be grwon from de-pulped seed.
References: Hammer 2004
Comments: It recruits readily from seed in the garden. The young shoots are edible when properly cooked, but otherwise the plant can be deadly if eaten.
