(WGHP) — There’s a creepy plant that grows in North Carolina you’re advised to stay away from if seen.
Actaea pachypoda, also known as the white baneberry or doll’s-eyes, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Actaea of the family Ranunculaceae, according to the National Park Service.
The plant’s fruit is its most notable feature and is typically seen in the fall. The fruit is a small white berry with a black mark in the middle that looks like an eyeball hence the nickname “doll’s eyes.”
Many different types of birds eat the berries that ripen over the summer and disperse the seeds since they are not affected by the plant’s toxicity. Small mammals will also eat the seeds but not the pulp, according to NC State University.
However, every part of the plant is poisonous to humans. Eating one can result in:
- vomiting
- hallucination
- diarrhea
- dizziness
- stomach cramps
- severe mouth pain
- headache
You’re asked to be cautious when planting one where children or pets could potentially have access.
It can be found in forests, woods, deciduous woodlands, ravines, thinly wooded bluffs as well as the bases of bluffs but not wetlands since it is an upland plant.
It can adapt to a variety of growing conditions and prefers moist soil found in wetlands and thickets as opposed to dry soil.
White baneberry isn’t aggressive or invasive.
