Pokeweed

Pokeweed can grow up to ten feet tall by the end of the Summer. The scientific name is Phytolacca Americana, Phytolacca meaning plant dye, and Americana because it is native. The berries are a black purple color and grow on a magenta stalks. The berry juice has been used as a dye by North American Indians and Colonists. The berries are poisonous for humans, pets and livestock, but birds can eat them. The seeds from the berries must pass through the digestive tract of birds in order to germinate.

Where I found it : along an open path in the woods