North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Actaea pachypoda

Actaea pachypoda Elliott

dolls’-eyes, white baneberry, white cohosh

Synonym(s): Actaea alba

Image ID: 8687
Image by: Ware, Richard & Teresa
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: ACPA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Actaea pachypoda
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2018-01-24

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: ACTAE
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Actaea
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Baneberry
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of about 28 species, perennial herbs, of temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Compton, Culham, & Jury (1998) support the inclusion of Cimicifuga in Actaea, based on morphologic and molecular analyses.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION: Identification notes: In rich coves and other mesic Appalachian forests, Actaea often grows with a number of other herbs with similarly compound leaves, including Astilbe (Saxifragaceae), Aruncus (Rosaceae), Caulophyllum (Berberidaceae), Angelica, Thaspium, Osmorrhiza, and Ligusticum (Apiaceae), Aralia (Araliaceae), Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae), and others. The curious evolutionary convergence of leaf morphology (to a 2-3-ternately compound form) of a large number of unrelated genera of Appalachian cove forests is interesting.
GENUS REFERENCES: Ford in FNA (1997); Ramsey in FNA (1997); Compton, Culham, & Jury (1998)=Z; Park & Lee 1996); Ramsey (1987, 1988); Tamura in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: RANUNC
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Ranunculaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Buttercup Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 62 genera and 2450 species, herbs, shrubs, and vines, primarily of temperate and boreal regions. Classsification of subfamilies and tribes follows Wang et al. (2009). Subfamilies and tribes follow Wang et al. (2009).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Whittemore & Parfitt in FNA (1997); Wang et al. (2009); Keener (1977); Tamura in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993). [also see HYDRASTIDACEAE]

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO: Erect perennial growing in heavy shade of rich, mesic cove forests and bottomland forests.
STEMS: Stems simple and smooth.
LEAVES: Leaves 2-3, each 2 times divided into 3 leaflets; leaflets to 2 in. long, variable in shape and lobing, with acute tips and coarsely toothed margins, smooth.
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS: Flowers in a compact raceme (to 3 in. long) on a smooth stem above leaves, each flower on a stalk that thickens and becomes red in fruit; flowers white, to ½ in. wide, consisting of an ovary with stout style and numerous, prominent white stamens (plus several indistinct petals).
FRUITS: Fruit a round, white berry with black center spot (suggesting dolls’ eyes) on a coral red stalk.
COMMENTS: Flowers and leaves of A. racemosa (see p. xx) are very similar.
HEIGHT: 1-2 1/2 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION:

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Mar-May

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
		x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR: White

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x

FRUITING PERIOD: Aug-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Moist forests
NATIVE RANGE: eastern North America

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Baneberry produces upright racemes of small creamy-white flowers in late spring. Its flowers are delicate in appearance and pleasantly scented. They are followed by bright red berries that are showy for many weeks. This is a choice species that is rarely offered for sale. This southeastern native perennial is tough and long-lived. It is easy to grow and transplants easily as a young container-grown plant. It is difficult to move once it has established its thick root system, so take care to plant it where it can remain long-term. Baneberry typically grows in rich woodlands of the N.C. mountains.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 8
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
170	2008-0346	2019-07-02	171	View
8022	2004-0030	2004-05-21		View

GRIM COLLECTIONS

Coll_id	Project	Collection date	Collector	Action
171	HORT	2004-07-25	Bryan	View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
340	170	79	Liloia	2008-04-25	View
341	170	11	Liloia	2008-04-25	View
342	170	71	Liloia	2008-04-25	View
11270	8022	119	NCBG staff	2003-04-14	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: ACPA
USDA Common Name: White Baneberry
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV), CAN (NB, NS, ON, PE, QC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				UPL			FACU	UPL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

2018 Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina

NHP ID	S RANK	ROUNDED S RANK	G RANK	ROUNDED G RANK	STATE STATUS	FEDERAL STATUS
15773	S4	S4	G5	G5	W6

This information is derived from the 2018 North Carolina Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species.

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Actaea pachypoda
COMMON NAME: White Baneberry, Dolls'-eyes, White Cohosh
SYNONYMY: [= F, FNA, K, Mo, Pa, RAB, Va, W, WH3, Z; = A. alba (Linnaeus) P. Miller - C, G, S, probably misapplied; > A. pachypoda f. pachypoda - Z; > A. pachypoda f. rubrocarpa (Killip ex House) Fernald - Z]
PHENOLOGY: Mar-May; Aug-Oct.
HABITAT: Rich cove forests and slopes.
COMMENTS: QC and MN south to c. GA, FL Panhandle, s. AL, s. MS, e. LA, and OK.
RANGE MAP: Actaea pachypoda.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Ranunculaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Buttercup Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 62 genera and 2450 species, herbs, shrubs, and vines, primarily of temperate and boreal regions. Classsification of subfamilies and tribes follows Wang et al. (2009). Subfamilies and tribes follow Wang et al. (2009).
REFERENCE: Whittemore & Parfitt in FNA (1997); Wang et al. (2009); Keener (1977); Tamura in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993). [also see HYDRASTIDACEAE]

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Actaea L. (Baneberry)
SUMMARY: A genus of about 28 species, perennial herbs, of temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Compton, Culham, & Jury (1998) support the inclusion of Cimicifuga in Actaea, based on morphologic and molecular analyses.
REFERENCE: Ford in FNA (1997); Ramsey in FNA (1997); Compton, Culham, & Jury (1998)=Z; Park & Lee 1996); Ramsey (1987, 1988); Tamura in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Actaea pachypoda in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Actaea pachypoda in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Actaea pachypoda in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Actaea pachypoda in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Actaea pachypoda in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Actaea pachypoda

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 8687 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 8687 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 19264 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 8686 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)