Actaea rubra (Red baneberry)

Actaea rubra (Aiton) Willd.

Red baneberry, red cohosh, snakeberry, cohosh

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Magnoliidae	Includes magnolias, nutmeg, bay laurel, cinnamon, avocado, black pepper, and many others
Order	Ranunculales	Basal (evolved earlier) eudicots, also called “true dicots”
Family	Ranunculaceae	Buttercup family
Genus	Actaea	From ancient Greek, signifying a wet habitat and its leaves’ similarity to Sambucus leaves
Species	rubra	From the Latin ruber or rubra meaning “red”

About plant names...

Red baneberry is called baneberry because of its poisonous nature. It is a North American native.

Plants: Red baneberry is 12-36" (30-91 cm) high.

Leaves: On all of the baneberries, leaves often occur in groups of three, on thin stems, and are saw-toothed. Individual leaves are somewhat divided into three sections.

Flowers: Flowerheads are roughly spherical (racemes) of small white flowers ¼" (6.3 mm) across, with a roselike odor. Flowerheads appear soft and feathery.

Fruits: Berries are oval when green, becoming rounder and bright or dark red when ripe.

Edibility: Skull & Crossbones All parts of this plant are poisonous. Causes burning of the mouth and throat, salivation, stomach cramps, headache, diarrhea, dizziness, and hallucinations. Berries have caused fatalities in children.

Some variants are compared below:

1/19/2021 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts ID is uncertain

9/10/2014 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts
≈ 3 × 2' (91 × 71 cm)

	*Actaea pachypoda*	*Actaea pachypoda f. rubrocarpa*	You are here Actaea rubra
Common Name	white baneberry	doll’s-eyes	red baneberry
Plant
Flowers	Flowerheads of small white flowers are roughly oval in shape. Each flower is ¼" (6.3 mm) across.	Flowerheads of small white flowers are roughly oval in shape. Each flower is ¼" (6.3 mm) across.	Feathery flowerheads of small white flowers are roughly oval in shape. Each flower is ¼" (6.3 mm) across. Flowers have a roselike fragrance.
Leaves
Fruit	White berries supported by red pedicels that are ⅛" (3 mm) or more in thickness. Berry tips have black-purple spot.	Red berries supported by pedicels that are ⅛" (3 mm) or more in thickness. Instead of the tomato red of red baneberry, these berries have a more luminous deep magenta color, becoming more purplish with time.	Bright or dark red, oval berries are supported by pedicels that are less than ⅛" (3 mm) thick.
Range/ Zones		USDA Zones: 3-8
Habitats			Actaea racemosa
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild
Occurrence	Common	Rare	Common

	*Actaea rubra f. neglecta*
Common Name	white-fruited red baneberry
Plant	12-36" (30-91 cm) high
Flowers	roughly spherical (racemes) of small white or purple Flowers ¼" (6.3 mm) across, with a roselike odor. Flowerheads appear soft and feathery. Flowers appear in May.
Leaves	In groups of three, on thin stems, and are saw-toothed. Individual leaves are somewhat divided into three sections
Fruit	Oval when green, becoming rounder and white when ripe
Range/ Zones
Habitats	Moist, shaded areas, such as forest floors
Type	Wild

Online References:

Actaea rubra on

Actaea rubra on Earl J.S. Rook's Flora, Fauna, Earth, and Sky ... The Natural History of the Northwoods

Actaea rubra at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Actaea rubra on Wikipedia

Actaea rubra at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Actaea rubra on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Actaea rubra on Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Actaea rubra on CalPhotos

Actaea rubra on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

Actaea rubra on eFloras

7/10/2013 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hampshire
≈ 19 × 12" (47 × 31 cm)

1/19/2021 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts ID is uncertain

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 29 × 19" (72 × 48 cm)

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 31 × 21" (78 × 52 cm)

6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 15 × 10" (39 × 26 cm)

Actaea rubra description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.

1/19/2021 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts ID is uncertain

6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 5" (15 × 12 cm)

7/12/2015 · Smuggler’s Notch, Cambridge, Vermont
≈ 12 × 8" (31 × 21 cm)

6/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 17 × 16" (42 × 41 cm)

7/12/2015 · Smuggler’s Notch, Cambridge, Vermont
≈ 10 × 7" (25 × 16 cm)

Range:

About this map...