Red baneberry

Questions about red baneberry

Does red baneberry need sun or shade?

Red baneberry grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does red baneberry grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 7. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 7 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does red baneberry flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early May to late May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should red baneberry be planted?

18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 24 in (60 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many red baneberry plants do I need?

At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.

Is red baneberry poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, especially the berries and roots, are highly poisonous if eaten and can affect the heart.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like red baneberry?

These come closest to doing what red baneberry does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• False Solomon's seal: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 6 in taller.
• Wild geranium: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 4 in shorter, pink, not white.
• White wood aster: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late August to early October, wants average soil.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat red baneberry?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after red baneberry?

Red baneberry is over by late May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Astilbe: from late June to mid July, 24 in tall.
• Cranesbill 'Rozanne': from early June to early October, 18 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does red baneberry look like in winter?

Red baneberry dies down, but leave the stems standing: the seed heads stand through the winter, and songbirds eat the seed. Cut them down in early spring, before the new shoots come.

Is red baneberry good for bees and butterflies?

Red baneberry is visited by pollinators and songbirds.

It is native to the United States.