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.
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 variants are compared below:
9/1/2009 · Maine
8/14/2015 · Roost Trail, Grafton Notch State Park, Newry, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (16 × 11 cm)
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.
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
Finding this in the woods—and puzzling over it on and off for the next six months—got me interested in wild plants in the first place. · 9/23/2007 · Near Mike & Ellen’s, Milford, Pennsylvania
The rough-edged leaves are part of the baneberry. · 8/12/2023 · Highlands Trail via Pismire Bluffs Trail, Raymond Community Forest, Raymond, Maine · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)
9/25/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)
9/6/2010 · Henry E. Cowdrey Nature Center, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 15 cm)
Actaea alba auct.non(L.)Mill.
Actaea pachypoda description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 7 Sep 2023.