Beginner Gardening: Guess THIS plant - win a color TV!!! Haha, 0 by MacFL

MacFL wrote:
ClayPA:

Thanks for the reply. I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but are you certain this is Pokeweed? The stalks on my plant are VERY large in diameter and it seems that all of the photos of Pokeweed I have looked at the stalks are much smaller.

I have small kids, so if this in fact the plant you say it is, it is poisonous and it has to go. Problem is, the root system is reportedly extremely large and this is another concern, because this plant is growing 3 feet from the foundation of my home. Any idea if they bust foundations like tree roots? The 4" tree-branch looking thing coming out of the ground that this thing is growing out of doesn't appear in any other photos I have seen. Maybe my root is above ground? The soil IS very hard in this spot of my lawn.

Kind to birds or not, I don't want a poisonous plant near my kids, stained driveways, etc, so I will dig it up if it takes a Saturday with a Bobcat, but, at the same time, I love it's dense very green foliage, so if it isn't Pokeweed, I would like to keep it. This thing looked almost dead about a month ago and now has shot up to almost 4 ft in a month, so it DOES fit the growing rate of Poke from what I hear. The stalks are solid green and do not contain ANY pink, red or purple, but I am guessing it's simply too early in the season. That would definitely sell me on it being Pokeweed and so would the berries which are yet to be seen.

Please don't be offended. I just want to double check with you. Are you VERY familiar with this plant from personal knowledge or are you replying based on research artickes or books? I just like to ask. I am attaching a different shot of this plant in my yard. It shows massive stalks, and the tree-branch looking (root) at the base?

Thanks again. If it is Pokeweed, you may have just saved my 3 year old's life. So thank you.

Mac