Pokeberry

OK, it's a weed.  But I happen to think it's a very attractive weed, and I have been letting it grow, where it isn't in the way.  Besides, birds love the berries.  The plant can grow very large.  These are about six feet tall.  Look at those bright red stems. 

It started flowering a while ago.  In the middle of the little white flowers, you can see the berry beginning to form.

As the flowers fade, the berries become larger.  Eventually these green berries will turn deep purple.

I must caution you that all parts of these plants, including the berries, are toxic to mammels.  That said, poke used to be harvested when it was very young, washed and soaked thoroughly three times, and made into "poke salit."  I don't think you could get me to eat it, though.  There's too much stuff out there that you can eat, without risk of death.

The berries can be made into a dye, and the juice used as ink.  One of the most interesting modern uses for the berries seems to be as a dye that coats a new kind of solar panel cell, greatly increasing its efficiency.

So, I'll let my poke grow, and enjoy it for what it is, a weed that can be useful, in many ways.