Flower profile

White baneberry

Actaea pachypoda

White baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) is a flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

White baneberry is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 8 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

34states where USDA records it

8Bloomipedia state lists include it

24,529U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin

Quick look

Actaea pachypoda, the white baneberry or doll's-eyes, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Actaea, of the family Ranunculaceae.
From Wikipedia's article Actaea pachypoda, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 34 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
In Michigan, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,406 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #64 among the 193 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,882 research-grade sightings of it in Michigan, ranking #50 among the 172 flowers on our Michigan list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,045 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #90 among the 186 flowers on our Ohio list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,105 records)

Bloom time in the 8 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New York	Native	May–June	3,406
Michigan	Native	May–June	2,882
Ohio	Native	May	2,045
Vermont	Native	May–June	2,025
Wisconsin	Native	few records (17)	1,849
Tennessee	Native	April	1,260
Indiana	Native	few records (33)	988
Connecticut	Native	few records (33)	661

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 6 of our 8 states.

See each state

Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Ohio: Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. ^{OAC 1501:18-1-03}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. ^{NR 27.03}
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}

New York

Exploitably vulnerable On New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3): exploitably vulnerable (protected from picking without the landowner's permission). NatureServe: S5, secure in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}

Indiana

No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Indiana.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (S1), FL (S1), KS (S1), LA (S2), NE (S1), OK (S1), RI (S2), SC (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: it's on New York's rare plant list (exploitably vulnerable). ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}

Can you eat it?

For peopleCaution: partly edible, partly poisonous

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “Poisonous if ingested especially the roots and berries can cause death in humans, livestock and pets. Toxic if eaten in large quantities. Burning of mouth and throat, salivation; severe stomach cramps, headache, diarrhea; dizziness and hallucinations can…” They also note: “Not edible” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsCan be a problem for cats, children, dogs and horses

NC State Extension flags it as a problem for cats, children, dogs and horses. It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. ^{NC State Extension}

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records white baneberry in 34 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chemung, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Monroe, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Schenectady, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming, Yates.

Michigan counties with USDA records: Alcona, Alger, Allegan, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Baraga, Barry, Bay, Benzie, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Clare, Clinton, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Eaton, Emmet, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Hillsdale, Houghton, Huron, Ingham, Ionia, Iosco, Iron, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Keweenaw, Lapeer, Leelanau, Lenawee, Luce, Mackinac, Macomb, Manistee, Marquette, Mason, Menominee, Midland, Montcalm, Montmorency, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Osceola, Oscoda, Ottawa, Presque Isle, Saginaw, Sanilac, Schoolcraft, Shiawassee, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Tuscola, Van Buren, Washtenaw, Wayne, Wexford.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Brown, Butler, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Darke, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Geauga, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Hardin, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Licking, Lorain, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Meigs, Miami, Montgomery, Morrow, Muskingum, Ottawa, Paulding, Pickaway, Pike, Portage, Putnam, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Union, Van Wert, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wood, Wyandot.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 808 counties across 31 states; the most are in Illinois (76), Indiana (76), Michigan (70).

Other Actaea on Bloomipedia (2): Red baneberry, Black cohosh.

More from the Ranunculaceae family (48 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lesser celandine, Rue anemone, Red columbine, Wood anemone, Western columbine, Marsh marigold, Round-lobed hepatica, Sharp-lobed hepatica.

More New York flowers

Lesser celandine

Ficaria verna

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in NY: March–April

Red columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in NY: April–June

Marsh marigold

Caltha palustris

Native

🌼 Blooms in NY: April–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ACPA.
iNaturalist, Actaea pachypoda: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Actaea pachypoda (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (15):
Show all 15 state lists
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Actaea pachypoda (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Tom Scavo via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.