Question: Central MA, woodland, partial shade. About 2' tall (so far) and large leaves are ~9" long. No luck keying it …
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Question
Central MA, woodland, partial shade. About 2' tall (so far) and large leaves are ~9" long. No luck keying it out, and I'm concerned it could be toxic to my goats. Thanks for any help!
Answer
Dear Quinn, you have photographed Phytolacca americana (American pokeweed), a robust, native herbaceous plant that will produce (soon) small white flowers that mature into purple berries. The herbage is edible to humans early in the season when they are first emerging (and consumed widely in the southeastern United States, and to some extent in the northeast). The roots can be toxic (though they are used as medicine for staphylococcus infections, etc.) if eaten in too large a quantity. Best wishes.
