The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: white baneberry, doll's-eyes

Family: Ranunculaceae (buttercup family)

Synonym: Actaea alba

Distribution: e. North America

Hardiness: USDA Zone 3

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Comments: White baneberry usually grows up to 30" tall and can be found in deep woods on bluffs or ravines in large clumps. Small white flowers appear from May to June in short terminal clusters above the foliage. The flowers do not have nectar and only provide pollen to visiting insects, the majority of which are bees. Once the bloom is over, the flowering stem thickens and turns bright red. From there, pea-sized white berries form, which give this plant its other common name, doll's-eyes, because each berry has a dark purplish spot like a pupil. The seeds are mainly dispersed by birds. NOTE: the berries and foliage are extremely poisonous if ingested.