0092 1 Actaea rubra

Very vivid and juicy red, will the wildlife appreciate these?

"Baneberry contains cardiogenic toxins that can have an immediate sedative effect on human cardiac muscle. The berries are the most poisonous part of the plant (hence the name baneberry). Children have been poisoned by eating the waxy, shiny red or white berries. Ingestion of the berries can lead to cardiac arrest and death. It is toxic to rabbits.[6] The berries are harmless to birds, the plant's primary seed disperser. Actaea species are closely related to plants in the genus Aconitum, a highly toxic plant genus which contains wolfbane and several varieties of monkshood.[7]

The roots of A. rubra contain β-sitosterol glucoside.[8]"
from Wikipedia.

It's very appealing to children and probably not a good plant to have in prominence. I like it beside the stream and in a secluded shady area. I have the Actaea pachypoda, or white baneberry, or "doll's eyes" as well. they resemble Astilbe.

Thank you for the very fascinating info about this plant, Lori. You always have such interesting plants, trees and wildlife in your garden and around your land. Your posts are very educational.

thank you, Kate. I try to be as factual as I can in what I post. I've loved growing stuff all of my life.. we moved here about 10 years ago and my gardening took on a greater dimension than I appreciated, at first. ( Especially the volume of plant material to fill up the spaces I wanted to develop.) So much of my "garden" is populated by native species and wildflowers, interesting fungi, trees, mosses, and ferns. I even found an orchid growing in the woods which was first brought to N.A. from Germany in the 1870's.. so much interesting stuff and having found Growsonyou, back in 2008, I've had the advantage of learning from all the people on here. I enjoy sharing my finds too and sharing my projects with everybody has given me inspiration and impetus to keep at it.. I sometimes think I'd like to be young and starting out again... but,