Actaea pachypoda aka White Baneberry

Actaea pachypoda is a woodland perennial in the buttercup family. Its common names include white baneberry and doll's eyes. It comes from eastern Canada and the eastern United States. It grows in rich woods, ravines, and wooded slopes. In Missouri, it also grows near bluffs and their bases. This plant loses its leaves each year and returns from a thick rhizome.

It forms upright clumps with a soft, leafy outline. Garden plants reach about 1–3 feet [0.3–0.9 metres] tall. Missouri Botanical Garden gives a usual height of 2.5 feet [0.76 metres]. RHS lists an upper height of 3.3 feet [1 metre]. Spread varies from about 1.6–3 feet [0.5–0.9 metres] across sources. Each stem bears two or three large, green compound leaves. Their leaflets have toothed edges and form a broad spread. The foliage can turn yellow in fall. Too much sun can also make the leaves yellow.

Small white flowers grow in short racemes above the leaves. They have tiny petals and shed their sepals as they open. Sources place bloom between March and June, depending on location. The flowers have scent and provide pollen, but no nectar. Bees visit them to gather pollen. After bloom, the flower stalks grow thicker and turn red. White berries with dark purple dots follow the flowers. Some berries are red rather than white. They show from summer into fall and can last until frost. Birds eat the berries and carry the seeds elsewhere.

Grow this plant in partial shade or deeper shade. It needs moist soil with plenty of organic matter. Good drainage helps keep the roots from staying too wet. Do not let the soil dry out. Water during dry spells to maintain soil moisture. It suits woodland gardens, native plant beds, and shaded borders. It can seed itself where conditions suit it, without aggressive spread. Sources rate its upkeep as low. It tolerates USDA zones 3–8 and has an RHS rating of H7.

Serious insect and disease problems are uncommon, and deer tend to avoid it. Heat, dry soil, or excess water can damage the foliage. All parts are poisonous, with roots and berries posing special risks. Eating them can cause severe illness or death in people and pets. The plant has no edible use. Keep it away from places where children might eat its fruit.