Red Baneberry
Actaea rubra
- Plant Type
- Forb (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Herb
- Sun
- ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt, Calcareous
- Bloom
- April, May, June
- Sociability
- S1 – Solitary / small clusters
Pollinator Value
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Celastrina neglecta
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Wild Turkey consumes the persistent red berries (6.3% occurrence in diet). Berries ripen mid-to-late summer and may persist into early fall; also consumed by Ruffed Grouse, American Robin, Wood Thrush, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Brown Thrasher, and Catbird. Small mammals including Woodland Deer Mouse, Eastern Chipmunk, and Red Squirrel eat the seeds.
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in both Canada (N5) and the United States (N5). Ranked S5 in Ontario. Not assessed by COSEWIC or listed under SARA. Widespread and common across its range in rich deciduous and mixed forests throughout eastern and western North America.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- A shade-tolerant forb of rich, moist deciduous and mixed forests, typically found in humus-rich soils of maple-beech-hemlock stands, cedar swamps, and shaded stream banks. Occupies the herb layer of mature forest understories from sea level to 3500 m across its circumboreal range. In the Outaouais, common in both the Ottawa Valley deciduous forests and the mixed coniferous-deciduous woodlands of the Canadian Shield transition zone.
S6 deciduous/mixed forests; S7 rich deciduous forests, cedar/spruce; S10 moist to mesic woodlands; S63 Common in Ottawa-Hull
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fortress/Barrier
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)]
- Notes
- PFAF notes this is a 'greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes.' Not suitable as a companion plant in guild designs due to competitive root behavior. Best placed as a standalone accent in shaded woodland settings.
S29 greedy plant inhibiting legumes
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
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ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Analgesic, Antirheumatic, Galactogogue, Purgative, Cold Remedy, Cough Medicine, Dermatological Aid, Gynecological Aid, Gastrointestinal Aid
S28 Moerman use categories; S29 Analgesic, Antirheumatic, Galactogogue, Rubefacient, Purgative
- Notes
- Extensively used by Indigenous peoples across North America. Algonquin used root for stomach pains. Blackfoot prepared root decoctions for colds, coughs, and veterinary treatment of horses. Cheyenne used roots ceremonially, for sores, appetite improvement, and to increase maternal milk flow after childbirth. Chippewa and Ojibwa used root for gynecological and gastrointestinal complaints. The root is a violent purgative, irritant, and emetic; great caution advised for any internal use.
S28 41 Moerman drug uses across multiple nations; S29 root purgative/emetic warning
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible
- Foraging Notes
- Not edible. All parts of the plant are toxic, particularly the berries and roots. Multiple Indigenous sources record the berries as poisonous. PFAF edibility rating is 0 of 5.
S29 edibility 0/5; S28 berries considered poisonous; S4 berries very poisonous if ingested
- Toxicity
-
☠️ High Toxicity
Despite the 'None' toxicity rating from USDA/Cornell databases, all parts of this plant are toxic to humans, acting upon the heart. Contains protoanemonin and ranunculin. Berries are the most dangerous part; symptoms of ingestion include burning of mouth and throat, salivation, severe stomach cramps, headache, diarrhea, dizziness, and hallucinations. European congener A. spicata has fatally poisoned children. Foliage toxicity deters mammalian herbivores.
S29 all parts toxic, acts upon heart; S31 protoanemonin, ranunculin; S4 poisonous parts and symptoms; S10 foliage somewhat toxic
Seed Source
- OWSL