By Terrymk
Surrey,
United Kingdom 
Can anyone tell me what this very quick growing plant is? It first grew last summer in my veg patch and I let it flower to see what it would do, but cut it down at ground level before it could disperse its seeds. It's come up again this year now with three main stems and is growing about 3 inches per day.
First two photos are last years version and last one is this years. I'd like to find out what it is before I dig it up and exterminate it!
30 May, 2012
Answers
Apparently the American settlers used to eat the leaves but I most certainly do NOT recommend it! I was so taken by this plant with its purple berrries growing in gardens near the chateau at Saumur that I collected them and grew it from the seed!
Now I can't get rid of the blasted thing and it keeps coming back every year in the same places. It is certified 'invasive alien plant' in some places, but thankfully not in our colder climates.
31 May, 2012
A weed dig it out!
31 May, 2012
No, I like them,in the right place. We have a couple of them in the border and as long as we cut them down when the berries are ready to fall they do nothing more than grow and flower like any other plant. Certainly they do not spread sideways like some plants do.
1 Jun, 2012
Thanks to all that replied.
It's coming out this weekend.
2 Jun, 2012
Pokeweed. Phytolacca americana.
The berries are rather poisonous so perhaps best not grown in a Vegetable patch.
31 May, 2012