Happy Mystery Monday! What native pollinator powerhouse plant is growing in the Parking Lot Alive! gardens?
Last week, we asked you about pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)! Pokeweed can grow up to ten feet tall and has equally impressive taproots growing almost one foot deep and 4 inches thick! While all parts of this plant are poisonous, people have historically prepared the young spring shoots for food (after many rounds of boiling) and have used the berries as a dye. While many may consider this a weed, we recommended leaving this plant for the wildlife as it offers an important food source for birds, insects, and is a host plant for the giant leopard moth.
#adkinsarboretum #mysterymonday #nativeplant #mysteryplant #pollinatorpowerhouse #ethnobotany #hostplant
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