- Home >
- A special place >
- What's special - nature >
- Species >
- Plants >
- Limestone pavement plants >
- Baneberry
Baneberry
- About national parks
- About the Yorkshire Dales National Park
- What's special - nature
- What's special - landscape
- What's special - cultural heritage
- What's special - being here
Taxonomic information
Common Name: Baneberry
Latin Name: Actaea spicata
Family: Ranunculaceae
Description
Baneberry is a strong smelling perennial herb. It has white beetle-pollinated flowers that appear from May which develop into poisonous berries which are black when ripe in mid summer. Another name for baneberry is herb Christopher.
In the British Isles baneberry is rare and scarce. It has a northern distribution and has the ability to tolerate heavy shade and can consequently grow in areas inaccessible to livestock. It is therefore often found in the grykes of limestone pavements and in upland mixed ash woodlands.
In the Yorkshire Dales National Park baneberry is rare but can be found on limestone pavements in the southern part of the National Park. There is some evidence that between the 1970s and 2002 the distribution of baneberry increased in the National Park.
Related Links
Sorry to interrupt, but what do you think of this website?
You could win a luxury picnic hamper packed to the brim with delicious local produce that you could enjoy in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. All you have to do is fill in our quick survey.
Start linksend



