Actaea pachypoda Elliott

White baneberry, doll’s eyes

Baneberries are members of the buttercup family. They are natives of eastern North America, and live in shady wooded areas. I usually see individual plants, not clusters.

Plants: These highly poisonous plants are fairly common in eastern North American forests. They are 1½–2½′ high ⨉ 2–3′ around (45–76 ⨉ 60–91 cm). Stems are hairless. In addition to this white-berried variety, red baneberries have rounder flower clusters, vs. the more cone-shaped cluster in white baneberries.

Leaves: Saw-toothed leaves are in groups of three, sometimes five, on thin stems. Leaflets are up to 4 ⨉ 2″ (10 ⨉ 5 cm).

Flowers: White flowers occur in a round or cylindrical cluster 1½″ (3.8 cm) around and 1–3″ (2.5–7.6 cm) long. Individual flowers are ¼–½″ (6.3–12 mm) in size, with up to 10 narrow petals and a whole lot of long white stamens. They appear from May to June.

Fruits: If it is the time of year for them, baneberries’ most distinguishing feature is, well, the berries. Relatively few plants produce white berries, and the small black or purplish dots at one end of each berry led to the common name “doll’s eyes.” The stalks supporting the berries are conspicuously colored.

Habitats: Clay to coarse loamy upland soils, in hardwood and mixed forest stands.

Edibility: All parts of this plant are poisonous. As few as two of these very bitter berries may be fatal to children; a half dozen can cause cardiac arrest and bizarre neurological symptoms in an adult. The roots and leaves also contain several poisons that are dangerous when ingested and can cause skin blisters.

Some baneberry species.

Online References:

Older scientific or horticultural names

Actaea pachypoda description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.