Misty Blue White Baneberry
Actaea pachypoda 'Misty Blue'
Height: 3 feet
Spread: 24 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 3a
Other Names: Doll's Eye, White Cohosh
Description:
Great for woodlands and naturalized areas; spikes of white flowers over a mound of lacy, blue-green foliage; keep soil moist but well drained; beautiful doll's eye berries on reddish stems are poisonous but highly ornamental
Ornamental Features
Misty Blue White Baneberry features showy clusters of lightly-scented white flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to early summer. Its attractive serrated compound leaves remain bluish-green in colour with hints of blue throughout the season. It features an abundance of magnificent white berries with black spots from late summer to early fall. The red stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.
Landscape Attributes
Misty Blue White Baneberry is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting birds and bees to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Misty Blue White Baneberry is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
Planting & Growing
Misty Blue White Baneberry will grow to be about 28 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!
This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
