A volunteer shrub, with berries?

14 years ago

These came up this summer, and I left them to see if I could figure out what they were:

Now they've got berries, which I'm certainly not about to eat. They explain how the plants got there of course (birds).

I just wish I knew what they were. Someone said they look like elderberries, but the berry clusters didn't look big or clumpy enough to me.

Anyone have any ideas?

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Comments (4)

carol23_gw
14 years ago
Pokeweed.
joannapoe
Original Author
14 years ago
Great, thanks! Apparently the greens can be collected from young shoots and parboiled to remove the toxicity before you braise them with bacon and lard. Sounds delicious; I'll see if they come back next year.
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Perhaps it is coralberry, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus.
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Mulberry, thanks for your suggestion. Someone else had suggested one of the Hawthorns, but I think Saltcedar nailed it. Saltcedar, thanks also for the link! It sure looks like that's it. Other sites said it is sold in nurseries as an evergreen hedge plant, has flowers that attract bees, and berry's for wildlife. I guess a seed was in some nursery pot soil. It came up near where I planted an oriental persimmon tree. It sounds like an interesting plant so I'll keep it :-)
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if floras Id is confirmed ... my base position is that no tree or shrub.. that self sows itself into your garden is worth keeping ... else... when it matures.. it will be self sowing more generations of evil .... rarely are the free gifts of mother nature.. worthwhile .... unless you are a 'natives' freak ... and might be interested in eating every weed that comes over the fence ... lol ... and all the power to those peeps ... ken
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Iris GW
14 years ago
They are herbaceous perennials here, not sure about zone 4.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
incredibly invasive... see link

potentially poisonous ...

nearly impossible to kill or dig the tuber ...

and you are going to have a big problem for a decade if you leave those seeds to the birds ...

trust me.. been there.. done that.. had to move.. to get rid of them...

and they are now at the new house ... darn birds ..

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

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A volunteer shrub, with berries?

Comments (4)

carol23_gw

joannapoe
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A volunteer shrub, with berries?

Comments (4)

carol23_gw

joannapoeOriginal Author

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Iris GW

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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joannapoe
Original Author