The American pokeweed originally comes from North America and was introduced as an ornamental and dyeing plant. It grows wild mainly in southern Styria and eastern Lower Austria (Weinviertel and Marchfeld). Pokeweed grows in particular on forest edges, clearings and woodland clearings. Here, the plants, which can grow up to two and a half metres tall, can form pure stands and displace native plants.
The American pokeweed is very thermophilic and sensitive to frost; warmer temperatures as a result of climate change, especially in the winter months, are to its advantage. It survives the winter as a beet in the ground, sprouting numerous new shoots in spring. The species also reproduces via seeds, which are eaten by birds and spread over long distances.
