single stalk, no leaves, clump of berry-like bulbs

by Denise Pope
(Ventura, CA)

These mystery plants just appeared in my yard. They are about 1 foot tall, have no leaves and a straight thick stalk. At the top of each plant is a tight clump of berry-like objects. The "berries" are squishy and juicy. My boyfriend tasted one and claimed it tasted like a bell pepper. Please help in identifying! Thanks!

Denise Pope

Hi Denise, please don't let your boyfriend loose on unknown plants! Generally, any berries that are red that you don't recognize you should never eat.

I thought that this could possibly be 'baneberry' or Actaea rubra, which is very poisonous!

Looking more closely at your image, and the fact that it doesn't display leaves at the same time as the berries makes me unsure of this identification.

These are pretty distinctive berries, so maybe someone has more experience of it and will recognize it.

Don't eat it, anyway!

Jacki