red ink plant, Phytolacca octandra

Didn't know there were so many species of pokeweed! We have five wild ones according to USDA Plants. This one started out in southern Arizona, south to Central America. It's a pretty smart poke though. It now has escaped to Hawaii, other Pacific Islands, New Zealand and eastern Australia. All that to find a place in "Weeds - an illustrated botanical guide to weeds of Australia". As with other poke, the berries make good dye. This has also been used to treat obesity, arthritis and skin cancer. Beal Gardens, MSU, 6/28/19.