Re: Actea?

In a message dated 8/12/1999 4:46:59 PM Central Daylight Time, 
SSaxton@Schwabe.com writes:

<<  know that's a shrub, but I was hoping a quick inquiry on the list would be
 informative.  I saw the actea (?) they refer to as "doll's eyes" (for some
 reason that description repulses me -- like dead, staring-straight-head
 eyes...)  in the recent issue of Fine Gardening.  What intrigued me was it's
 red stems and white berries.  Can anyone comment on its growing
 habit/size/culture?  Do the berries hang on so you can use this at Christmas
 in arrangements?
  >>

Are you referring to Actaea alba?  The common name is baneberry and they are 
herbaceous perennials that grow in shade under trees in rich woodlands.
There are to species of Actaea that are native to eastern USA.
Actaea rubra is the other one besides the one above and it has red fruit.
I have the white fruited form of Actaea rubra and I like the plants very 
well, nice looking leaves. The fruit does not persist into winter but instead 
"falls" off in the fall.
The flowers are a cluster made up of white flowers in the spring held above 
the foliage.

 I just came out of the "wild flower" garden and the berries are ripe now.
I thought I had lost all my baneberries a number of years ago but I was glad 
to see this spring that I have around 20 plants that have grown from seed.
Seeds takes 4- 5 years or so to reach blooming size in the wild. Maybe you 
can reduce that to 3-4 years in cultivation.
 
Plants grow 12-20" tall and the same in spread. They do not form thick clumps 
but grow as single or two to three stemmed plants for me.

Plant in moist but well draining soil high in organic containt. the soil 
needs to be rich-they do not like nutritionally poor soils.
Mixes well with other wood land plants.

I will have some seed this fall for the normal red fruited Actea rudra.

Paul

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