Flower:

Flowers are in a round cluster about 2 inches tall at the end of a long flower stem rising above the leaves. Individual flowers are about ¼ inch across, with 4 to 10 white spear-shaped petals and numerous white tipped stamens that are longer than the petals, on slender green stalks up to ½ inch long. The petals drop off shortly after the flower blooms. One plant has 1 to a few flower heads.

Leaves:

Leaves are twice compound with 3 or 5 leaflets in each group. Leaflets are up to 2 inches long and wide, with sharp coarse teeth, rounded at the base and pointed at the tip. Leaflets may be divided into 2 or 3 lobes and are usually somewhat hairy.

Fruit:

The fruit is a glossy red berry about 1/3 inch long on a slender green stalk. There is a small dark spot on the tip end of each berry, the remains of the style.

The berries are occasionally white.

Notes:

A species called White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) is nearly identical. The most distinguishing characteristic is the stalk on the individual flowers and fruit. Red Baneberry has slender green stalks, where White Baneberry has thick stalks. White Baneberry also tends to have larger leaves that are usually hairless, where Red Baneberry leaves are usually hairy to some degree.