Medicinal Monday - Mysterious Red Baneberry

We have all seen those pretty red berries growing in the wild and wondered if they were edible. They aren't and as a matter of fact, the berries of the Red Baneberry Plant are poisonous and should not be eaten no matter how appetizing they look. Just because you can't eat these berries doesn't mean that Native Americans didn't find a use for this plant. Careful and expert knowledge is a must when using this poisonous plant.

About Red Baneberry

This bushy plant is in the buttercup family and has highly divided leaves with a hairy underside and a short, thick rounded cluster of small white flowers that have a feathery appearance. This perennial can grow up to three feet and is usually found in shady areas in moist to wet soil in the woods. After this plant flowers, the petals fall away and green berries are produced. The berry is ellipsoid shaped and in the late summer, the berries turn bright red and have a black dot on them.  All parts of this plant are poisonous and the berries are the most toxic part of this plant.

Medicinal Uses
Native Americans use the juice from the fruit of the red baneberry to poison arrows. The Algonquin used parts of this plant as an analgesic and a decoction of roots was used to treat coughs and colds.  Many Native American communities including the Chippewa, Cree of Hudson Bay, Cree Woodlands, and Ojibwa used an infusion of roots to help with pregnancy and childbirth. Raw roots were eaten by men to help with stomach pains. In general, the roots were also used for cramps during menstruation. The Cheyanne used this plant in ceremonies.

Did You Know...

A healthy adult will experience poisoning from as few as six berries. Ingestion of the berries causes nausea, dizziness, increased pulse, and severe stomach pains. The berries have an immediate effect on the cardiac muscle tissue and can lead to cardiac arrest. As few as two berries can be fatal to children.

All parts of this plant contain an irritant oil.

The poisonous berries are harmless to birds.

The genus name Actaea is Latin with a Greek origin meaning elder and rubra is Latin for red.

The root of this plant is a strong antispasmodic and is considered to be a strong alternative to Black Cohosh.

Today it is used in gardens as an ornamental plant.