Doll's Eyes (Actaea)

26-30” tall x 24-36” wide. If you’ve got a shady garden with rich, moist soil, Doll’s Eyes (Actaea) will thrive and bring ‘the unusual’ to that garden in late summer. Also known as baneberry, this long-lived perennial has a pleasing texture and habit, covering itself with soft, off-white bottlebrush blossoms in mid-spring. In summer, small white fruits develop with a purplish-black ‘eye’ which is actually the scar from the flower stigma. The effect is charming, but although it might be thought of as a choice for children’s gardens, all parts of the plant are poisonous. Doll’s Eyes requires steady moisture, but also requires well-drained soil as it cannot sit in standing water. It’s a great choice for the edges of a woodland blessed with humus-rich soil. Not only will it benefit from the shade and organic matter, the gardener will benefit from seeing those wonderful berries up close.