Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Garden escape, often of roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed areas..

Flowers: June-August

Origin: Introduced from Eurasia

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies

Perennial herb from a rhizome, the stem 1-1.5 m. tall, freely branched.

Leaves alternate, scale-like, scarious, 1-2 mm. long, with clusters of filiform branches 10-12 mm. long in the axils.

Flowers dioecious, borne single or in pairs along the stem on drooping, filiform pedicels up to 2 cm. long; tepals 6, greenish-white, bell-shaped, 3-7 mm. long.

Fruit a red berry, 6-8 mm. thick.