Actaea rubra, the red baneberry or chinaberry, is a poisonous herbaceous flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to North America.

[3] In mid to late summer, the berries turn bright red, or white in forma neglecta.

They are found growing in shady areas with moist to wet soils, open forest or dry slopes in much of North America except for Greenland, Nunavut, Mexico, Texas, and the south-eastern United States.

In addition, it has a status of apparently secure (S4) in Iowa, Labrador, Montana, Nebraska, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, and Wyoming.

[8] This plant is grown in shade gardens for its attractive berries and upright clump forming habit.

[19] The following illustrates a non-fatal case of experimental self-intoxication produced by the ingestion of fruit from Actaea rubra.

At first there was a most extraordinary pyrotechnic display of blue objects of all sizes and tints, circular with irregular edges; as one became interested in the spots a heavy weight was lowered on the top of the head and remained there, while sharp pains shot through the temples.

Then suddenly the mind became confused and there was a total disability to recollect anything distinctly or arrange ideas with any coherency.

On an attempt to talk, wrong names were given to objects, and although at the same time the mind knew mistakes were made in speech, the words seemed to utter themselves independently.

For a few minutes there was great dizziness, the body seeming to swing off into space, while the blue spots changed to dancing sparks of fire.