American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
(c) Craig K. Hunt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Craig K. Hunt · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Flowering plantsIn Erie County, Ohio

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana L.

American pokeweed in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Genus
Phytolacca
Near Erie County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 14 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (2)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (53)
  • Recorded, season not shown (19)
  • Season shown (14)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
American pokeweed by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecords
Adams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ashland County26 · Recorded, season not shown
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Athens County276 · Season shown
Auglaize CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Brown CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Butler County214 · Season shown
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clark County25 · Recorded, season not shown
Clermont County89 · Season shown
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Columbiana County25 · Recorded, season not shown
Coshocton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Cuyahoga County392 · Season shown
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Delaware County72 · Recorded, season not shown
Erie County32 · Recorded, season not shown
Fairfield County34 · Recorded, season not shown
Fayette CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Franklin County469 · Season shown
Fulton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Gallia CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Geauga County60 · Recorded, season not shown
Greene County88 · Recorded, season not shown
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hamilton County396 · Season shown
Hancock County26 · Recorded, season not shown
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Henry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hocking County25 · Recorded, season not shown
Holmes CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Huron CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Jackson CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Jefferson CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Knox County26 · Recorded, season not shown
Lake County52 · Season shown
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Licking County61 · Recorded, season not shown
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lorain County32 · Recorded, season not shown
Lucas County220 · Season shown
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Mahoning County24 · Recorded, season not shown
Marion CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Medina County38 · Recorded, season not shown
Meigs CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Mercer CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Miami County22 · Recorded, season not shown
Monroe CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Montgomery County141 · Season shown
Morgan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Noble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ottawa CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yet
Perry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pike CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Portage County92 · Season shown
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Putnam CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Richland County29 · Recorded, season not shown
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Sandusky CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Scioto CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yet
Stark County113 · Season shown
Summit County239 · Season shown
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Van Wert CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Vinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Warren County85 · Season shown
Washington County23 · Recorded, season not shown
Wayne County82 · Recorded, season not shown
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wood County92 · Season shown
Wyandot CountyRecorded, too few records for a result

No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.

Season

When it is recorded

In Erie County

Not enough evidence

The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season. Based on 32 records in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Erie County · records of all species each week, 14,434 in all

Records per week from 32 records in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of American pokeweed in Erie County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of American pokeweedYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–100047
Jan 11–170075
Jan 18–240052
Jan 25–310067
Feb 1–70070
Feb 8–140021
Feb 15–210052
Feb 22–280060
Mar 1–70090
Mar 8–140090
Mar 15–210079
Mar 22–280093
Mar 29 – Apr 40082
Apr 5–1100499
Apr 12–1800555
Apr 19–2500531
Apr 26 – May 200590
May 3–900519
May 10–1600765
May 17–2300697
May 24–3000548
May 31 – Jun 600427
Jun 7–1322381
Jun 14–2000384
Jun 21–2700273
Jun 28 – Jul 411316
Jul 5–1111605
Jul 12–1811329
Jul 19–2521514
Jul 26 – Aug 121527
Aug 2–811409
Aug 9–1543422
Aug 16–2221699
Aug 23–2911309
Aug 30 – Sep 522440
Sep 6–1221392
Sep 13–1911444
Sep 20–2632398
Sep 27 – Oct 322248
Oct 4–1021260
Oct 11–1722148
Oct 18–2400176
Oct 25–3100161
Nov 1–700149
Nov 8–140078
Nov 15–210049
Nov 22–280072
Nov 29 – Dec 50071
Dec 6–120027
Dec 13–190029
Dec 20–261154
Dec 27 – Jan 20061

Reported in flower

Only 2 records here show flowers, too few to show a flowering season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

Reported in fruit

Only 7 records here show fruit, too few to show a fruiting season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

In Ohio

Late May to mid-October, middle week Aug 30 – Sep 5

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 4,905 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 1,350 dates. Latest record: December 2025.

Show as a table
Records of American pokeweed in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of American pokeweedYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10006,211
Jan 11–17005,146
Jan 18–24224,645
Jan 25–31004,698
Feb 1–7116,023
Feb 8–14115,888
Feb 15–21115,436
Feb 22–28226,846
Mar 1–7428,321
Mar 8–148210,384
Mar 15–212112,620
Mar 22–283313,949
Mar 29 – Apr 40019,661
Apr 5–111126,860
Apr 12–183239,925
Apr 19–2511541,623
Apr 26 – May 221856,391
May 3–933752,952
May 10–1638653,785
May 17–2360757,698
May 24–3069854,651
May 31 – Jun 684953,099
Jun 7–1389853,700
Jun 14–201081056,625
Jun 21–27119955,361
Jun 28 – Jul 41151058,477
Jul 5–111691061,336
Jul 12–18166964,722
Jul 19–25155969,753
Jul 26 – Aug 11621059,416
Aug 2–81861059,712
Aug 9–152041055,994
Aug 16–222071054,328
Aug 23–292261051,772
Aug 30 – Sep 5390957,167
Sep 6–123931059,075
Sep 13–193081054,543
Sep 20–263161045,860
Sep 27 – Oct 33021043,180
Oct 4–10293937,841
Oct 11–172821030,824
Oct 18–24131821,156
Oct 25–311051019,021
Nov 1–749714,172
Nov 8–1447812,621
Nov 15–21867,965
Nov 22–28978,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5436,083
Dec 6–12746,004
Dec 13–19335,423
Dec 20–26225,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2638,459

Reported in flower

Usually reported in flower late June to mid-October, middle week Aug 2–8.

From 101 records that show flowers. Not every photo of a plant in flower is marked as flowering, so this shows when people reported it in flower, not when it flowers.

Reported in fruit

Usually reported in fruit mid-July to late October, middle week Sep 6–12.

From 428 records that show fruit. Not every photo of a plant in fruit is marked as fruiting, so this shows when people reported it in fruit, not when it fruits.

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Telling it apart

From what Ohio’s records show. Only what the records support is shown.

Often confused with

  • poke milkweed Asclepias exaltataOften confused in Ohio: 14 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • American jumpseed Persicaria virginiana37 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • chokecherry Prunus virginiana36 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • American black elderberry Sambucus canadensis26 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Japanese knotweed Reynoutria japonica26 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed64%49%
Forest24%31%
Farmland10%11%
Wetland2%5%
Grassland and shrub0.7%0.9%
Open water0.3%3%
Barren0.2%0.6%

From 3,440 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

4,905 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.