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Actaea rubra

Red Baneberry · Chinaberry · Baneberry · Snakeberry

Family RanunculaceaeGenus Actaea

Clusters of red berries on a leafy plant growing out of a gray rock face
FruitKrzysztof Ziarnek, KenraizCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Safety

Toxicity
Poisonous. Roots, sap, berries. Protoanemonin. Stated for Actaea spp.Plants Poisonous to Livestock
Toxicity
High severity. All parts. Cardiotoxic compounds.Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

The plant

Habit
Herbaceous perennialPlant Finder
Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Height
1-3 ft30-90 cmPlant Finder
Spread
1 ft30 cmPlant Finder
Flower
Showy; whitePlant Finder
Blooms
May to JunePlant Finder
Native range
Temperate Northern HemispherePlant Finder
Hardiness zones
3-7Plant Finder
Note
Deer and rabbits avoid it; birds take the fruit. Tolerates wet soil if it drains.Plant Finder

Growing conditions

Sun
Dappled Sunlight; Deep shade; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Evenly moist, humusy, rich, well-drainingPlant Finder
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Organic matter
HighNotes from web searches
Moisture
Good Drainage, MoistExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Watering
MediumPlant Finder

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plant Finder — Missouri Botanical Garden; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Notes from web searches — Amir Abed; Plants Poisonous to Livestock — Cornell University Department of Animal Science.

Worth knowing

  • As few as two berries may poison a person, but the berries are harmless to birds, which spread the seed. Wikipedia: Actaea rubra

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Clean the flesh off the seed

    The seeds are enclosed in a berry

  2. Leach in running water

    Duration: 7 days

    washed in water and cleaned daily

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  4. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  5. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  6. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  7. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  8. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  9. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    Germination took place at 40, but only after one or more prior cycles.

about 1.5 years from start to step 9. Germination happens during step 9, in 49 days.

24% germination in 35–49 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Actaea p.88Public domain
Show the original text
Actaea (Ranunculaceae). The seeds are enclosed in a berry and were given an initial WC for 7 d. Germination took place at 40, but only after one or more prior cycles. The radicle develops at 40 to a length of 2-3 inches after which growth stops. … A. rubra germ. 40-70-40-70-40-70-40(24% in 5-7 w) for fresh seed
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Actaea p.88. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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