This is the big glossy weed that gets dark purple berries on magenta stems later in the season. Their juice was used by natives to make dye to paint their horses! The Constitution was written in dye MADE FROM POKEBERRIES!

Okay now, you know that song about Poke Salad Annie? That refers to this plant.

Poke salad was (is?) a southern dish, but the leaves must be cooked and rinsed at least twice, because the whole plant is toxic unless properly processed. The berries are poisonous to mammals, but birds can eat them. 4 – 10 feet tall. Native.

Pokeweed, Poke (Phytolacca americana)