White Baneberry (Doll's Eyes) (Actaea pachypoda)

A small population of White Baneberry is present near the lower end of the Oak-Hickory Trail. The white fruits with a dark center (the basis for the common name Doll's Eyes) are evident in early August. The small white flowers borne on a terminal stalk appear at the end of April or early May, and the white fruit, which is initially green, matures in August. The large alternate, pinnately compound leaves have sharply toothed leaflets. The fruit and other parts of the plant are poisonous (the basis for the common name Baneberry). A member of the Ranunculaceae plant family, Actaea pachypoda is found in forests throughout eastern North America from southern Canada to northern Florida, and west to Nebraska and Kansas.

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