Polk County’s Most Wanted – Doll’s Eyes
Have you seen Doll’s Eyes?
In a joint effort to expand the knowledge and understanding of the flora and fauna of Polk County, Conserving Carolina and botanist/ecologist David Campbell need your help in locating this month’s “Polk County’s Most Wanted—Plant,” Doll’s Eyes (Actaea pachypoda), an interesting member of the Buttercup Family (Ranunculaceae).
How do I identify Doll’s Eyes?
Found throughout eastern and central North America, this herbaceous plant attains a height of approximately two to two and a half feet. The leaves are alternately compound and coarsely dentate (toothed). The small white and fragrant flowers are borne on a terminal spike and are seen in late April to mid-May in our region. Sometimes also referred to as White Baneberry, Doll’s Eyes is so-named due to the appearance of its mature fruits that are white with a black/dark purple spot or ‘eye’ in the center of the outside of the fruit. Another important fact about Doll’s Eyes – the fruit is poisonous, so do not eat them!
Where should I look for Doll’s Eyes?
Doll’s Eyes prefers moist rich slopes, bluffs, and cove forests. Although not uncommon in the mountains in North Carolina, this species is definitely rare in the piedmont region. It is known from a few sites in Polk County but it is presumed that other sites may also exist here. Search for this plant’s beautiful white flowers in mid to late spring on north-facing slopes above creeks and streams.
What can you do?
If you think that you have seen Doll’s Eyes in Polk County, please contact Pam Torlina at Conserving Carolina by email at pam@conservingcarolina.org.
For More Information
See more about “Polk County’s Most Wanted.” Download and print a “Pocket Guide” with all of the “Most Wanted” plants, animals, and habitats that you can be on the lookout for when you’re out in the field!
A Biological Inventory of Polk County
Now available for download: “An Inventory of the Significant Natural Areas of Polk County, North Carolina,” a culmination of David Campbell’s seven years in the field documenting the rare and significant flora and fauna in Polk County.