Doll's Eyes Plant: Nature's Creepy Wildflower with Eye-Like Berries

Visualise yourself walking through a forest during a serene afternoon. The sun's rays are passing through the tall trees, and you hear the chirping of the birds around you. As you proceed, you suddenly come across a bunch of pure white berries looking back at you. They all have a small black dot in their centres, and you get the impression that they are actually little eyeballs. 

Discover the Doll's Eyes Plant (Actaea pachypoda), a creepy North American wildflower with eye-like berries. Learn its habitat, unique appearance, and poisonous nature.

Doll's Eyes Plant with white berries resembling human eyeballs in a forest — [Photo | Source]

Doll's Eyes Plant (Actaea pachypoda): The Creepy Wildflower That Looks Like Watching Eyes

It seems like, for some reason, you have been spotted by the forest!

One of the weirdest wildflowers in North America is known as the Doll's Eyes Plant. It is scientifically known as Actaea pachypoda, and commonly referred to as White Baneberry. Though the eerie nature of the plant gives it a creepy title, it has an important place in the forest ecosystem.

The plant has a dark side to it. Virtually every component of this plant is poisonous, and its eye-shaped berries should not be consumed.

We will now take a closer look at the unique tale of one of nature's enigmatic wonders.

What Is the Doll's Eyes Plant?

The Doll's Eyes Plant is a perennial flowering plant that belongs to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It is native to the eastern and central parts of North America and grows well in the shade of forests where rich soil provides moisture.

In contrast to the majority of flowering plants that use bright flowers as an attraction throughout the whole season, Doll's Eyes starts to look very impressive only after its flowering period. In late summer, it produces bright white berries that are covered with dark purple or black dots.

Because of such spots, every berry looks like a doll's eye, which gives its name to the plant.

Interesting Facts About the Doll's Eyes Plant

It has caught botanists', photographers', hikers', and nature lovers' attention for many years.

Classification of Actaea Pachypoda

Classification               Description

Scientific name                 Actaea pachypoda

Common names               Doll's eyes, White baneberry

Family                                Ranunculaceae

Type of plant                    Herbaceous perennial

Natural range                   North America

Height of plant                18-30 inches

Flower season                  Late spring-early

Why Are They Called Doll’s Eyes?

It's hard to imagine a more appropriate name for them. Every berry has a pure white colour and looks very round. Its apex is marked by a small black spot formed right after the blossom period. Thus, this combination creates a striking similarity to a human eye. Another element that contributes to this creepy impression is the thick, deep red stem attached to the berry. In contrast to the greenery of the forest, the white berries seem to float in bunches, resembling dozens of little eyes looking at you from underneath. Hikers often get scared by their appearance. Naturally, it's rare for nature to play such tricks on us. 

Plants that Appear Alive

There are several reasons why the Doll's Eyes Plant has gained such popularity on the Internet. In particular, humans have developed an innate ability to spot faces and eyes. This kind of phenomenon has been called pareidolia and implies the fact that our brain is always trying to find some kind of familiar face, although there is nothing like that around. Therefore, when we see a bunch of berries that resemble eyes, our brain immediately recognises them as alive objects. The second important fact is that the Doll's Eyes Plant does not require any unusual coloration and size to be memorable.

Close-up of Actaea pachypoda white berries with black centres — [Photo | Source]

Doll’s eyes, or white baneberry, grow naturally in the eastern parts of North America and usually reach a height of two feet. Except for when it develops berries, this plant is nothing special, but once it ripens its berries over the summer season, it gets this sinister look. Berries stay on the plant until first frost and, of course, give it.

The black spot (it may be called a pupil, probably) is a leftover of the stigma of the plant’s flower. It seems like a good thing that these berries may make one think twice before trying this fruit of the forest.

Should anyone happen to consume them, they will soon have a heart attack, given the potency and speed at which these poisonous berries will affect them. Birds, on the other hand, are immune and use them to disperse the seeds across the forest.

The plant, Actaea pachypoda, can be used by skilled herbalists to create a medicinal cure that helps to alleviate pain and bronchial problems. Consumed raw, however, the plant will cause your cardiac muscles to fall asleep, and you can only imagine what happens to your body if the heart stops functioning.

White Baneberry plant growing in a shaded North American woodland — [Photo | Source]

Poisonous Doll's Eyes Plant displaying bright white eye-like berries — [Photo | Source]

Red stems and white berries of the Doll's Eyes wildflower — [Photo | Source]

Doll's Eyes Plant (Actaea pachypoda) in its natural forest habitat — [Photo | Source]

Creepy Doll's Eyes Plant berries that resemble tiny eyeball — [Photo | Source]

Cluster of Doll's Eyes berries growing among green forest leaves — [Photo | Source]

White Baneberry flowers before turning into eye-like berries — [Photo | Source]

Thus, the next time that you visit the forest, you are bound to receive a shocking surprise. However, despite all the watching eyes of this plant that appear to be looking at you and monitoring your every step through the forest, do not mess with their eyes. As in the case of the imitation of Mr Lecter, if you feed off these white-eyed creatures, then you are the one being devoured, not the cannibal!

Source — Kuriositas.com