- any of numerous and usually toxic plants of the genus Phytolacca, including P. americana, of North America, having juicy purple berries and a purple root used in folk medicine, and young shoots resembling asparagus: pokeweed species vary greatly in height, with some growing to about 3.2 feet (1 meter) and others as tall as 82 feet (25 meters).
- a tall North American plant, Phytolacca americana, that has small white flowers, juicy purple berries, and a poisonous purple root used medicinally: family Phytolaccaceae
