White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda Elliott)
Also known as doll's eyes.
↑Summary
A perennial wildflower of woodlands, with its one common name referencing the peculiar eye-like appearance of its berries: white with black spots.
↑Range - Expand
| Legend | Color |
| Native | |
| Native or Not Present |
This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.
Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.
↑Habitat
Prefers part to full shade, loamy soil rich in organic matter, and ample moisture.
Mostly found in rich, deciduous woodlands, including ones with closed and somewhat open canopies. Mostly found in intact ecosystems, but persists in some disturbed forests subjected to overgrazing by deer, due to the toxicity of its leaves deterring deer browsing.
↑Related Plants
The black baneberry or black cohosh (Actaea spicata) overlaps with much of this species range but is somewhat more restricted in range. Where the species overlap, they prefer similar habitats.
Numerous other Actaea species occur in North America; all are native except one, Actaea spicata, which has become established in northern New Jersey.
↑Links & External Resources
• Actaea pachypoda (Doll's Eyes) | Illinois Wildflowers (About This Site)
• Actaea pachypoda (White Baneberry) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)
• Actaea pachypoda | Go Botany (About This Site)
• Actaea pachypoda (White Baneberry) | Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder (About This Site)
• Actaea pachypoda | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)
• Actaea pachypoda | NatureServe Explorer (About This Site)
• Actaea pachypoda | Flora of North America (About This Site)
• Actaea pachypoda | Missouri Plants (About This Site)
• White Baneberry | Maryland Biodiversity Project (About This Site)
• Actaea pachypoda (White Baneberry) | Minnesota Wildflowers (About This Site)
• Actaea pachypoda Ell. (White Baneberry, Dolls'-eyes) | Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (About This Site)
