Very small,
white flowers are tightly clustered in an oblong
terminal raceme, 2-3 inches long. The flowers are
followed by summer fruit which are red and borne
on bright red, thick pedicels. The fruit are
poisonous if eaten, so caution should be
exercised in gardens where small children may be
present.
The flowers are
showy in mid to late spring while the fruit
colors up in summer.
Leaves are
pinnately to ternately compound leaflets
are ovate, serrated, or in some instances cut
nearly to the midrib. The leaves are similar to
Astilbe.
No serious
problems
A. rubra -
Red Baneberry, Red Cohosh. This species is
similar in appearance to A. pachypoda
except the fruit is red, the leaves tend to be
more pubescent and the pedicels are thinner on
A. rubra than A. pachypoda.
