white baneberry
Actaea pachypoda
USDA zones3 to 8
SunHandles partial sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size1.5 to 2.5 feet tall24 inches wide
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- White
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
- Toxicity
- Toxic to pets
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
White baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) is a perennial for shade gardens, woodland gardens, and naturalized areas. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes part sun to full shade and average to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Deer and rabbits tend to browse other plants first. Small white flowers form dense, globular clusters above the leaves. The shiny white berries give it the nickname Doll's Eyes, but they are poisonous.
Pairs well with Siberian bugloss, Red elderberry, and Canadian white violet.
Native range
Eastern North America.