Red Baneberry

Actaea rubra

Red Baneberry is a native perennial in the Buttercup family. It’s often found near its close relative, the White Baneberry. This is a bushy plant, with green, compound leaves. The white flowers form in clusters, which attract beetles, flies and a few Halictid bees. Only pollen is available as it does not offer nectar. Red Baneberry seems to prefer acidic soils that’s rich in humus. Fertilized flowers are then followed by red berries, which are poisonous to most mammalian herbivores. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans if ingested. Birds are able to feed on the bright red berries, which helps disperse this native plant to other locations. Seeds may take up 2 years to germinate. In the wild, they’re often found in moist, shady woodlands or thickets and along streambanks.