Episode 50: Tim Burton Bushes & Watchful Weeds- Baneberry
Hello and welcome back to Rooted! This week I wanted to change it up a little, so I’ve selected a plant that creeps me out to my very core- one of the most revolving berries I have ever seen- Doll’s Eye….more commonly known as white baneberry.
White Baneberry, or Actaea pachypoda, is native to north america, where it can commonly be found lurking in ditches, growing wildly in forests, and just generally hanging out anywhere with partial shade, rich, well-draining soil, and plenty of water. It’s mostly spread by birds eating it and then pooping, so honestly it’s not too picky.
It is a member of the Ranunculaceae, or butter cup family, with famous family members like bulbous buttercup, larkspur, and hellebores. They are easily identified by their bright white berries with black pupil-like spots that develop at maturity. They spring forth out of deep red stems that honestly look like eyeball stalks…if I didn’t know better, I would think this was something straight out of a tim burton movie. They have a roughly 3ft by 3ft spread, and they have deep green leaves. As far as perennial bushes go, these guys are pretty hardy, and they do have really pretty white flowers that smell kind of like roses, so there are actually some nurseries that sell them.
If I ever live my dreams of having a creepy goth garden filled with poisonous plants, you can rest assured knowing there will be at least a few of these there haunting the landscape.
If the eyes weren’t already weird, baneberry is primarily pollinated by WEEVILS. Yes, the invasive little beetle from europe also has a hand to play in spreading these bothersome berries all over the place.
Sometimes also called cohosh, this plant is NOT to be confused with black cohosh, an herbal ally often called on to support some estrogen related conditions and ailments- we’ll talk about that one another time.
In indigenous and early homeopathic medicine, baneberry was used to ease pain in childbirth, premenstrual cramps, colds, and to support the circulatory system- I even found some sources claiming it was used to treat rattlesnake bites and to poison arrows, but I couldn’t find much more there.
That being said, today there are much safer ways to treat these common ailments, so please do NOT try to make a creepy doll eye tea.
As if paralyzing you with FEAR wasn't enough, these guys can literally paralyze you. Eating just 6 berries is enough to kill an adult, and they get to work quickly..
The active chemicals in baneberry- ranunculin, is converted into protoanemonin- a cardiogenic that attacks the heart and nervous system, preventing it from beating, and eventually killing you. The good news is that the berries taste AWFUL, so there haven’t been any recorded deaths from eating them, as most people (children primarily) stop and spit it out after one super bitter bite.
That said, there are plenty of birds and other critters that LOVE these, and rely on them as a source of nutrients over the course of the winter..so they aren’t all bad, just a bit of an eyesore.
Next time you see one of these eyeing you on a hike or walk…take a second to REALLY look at it…maybe even enter into a staring contest you know you'll never win.. And say hello if you dare, but don’t kiss it on it’s creepy head- that’s too far even for me.
Sources:
https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/white-baneberry-dolls-eyes
https://www.thegypsythread.org/dolls-eyes-watching/
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=acpa
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/baneberry-actaea-spp/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculaceae
