Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Great Plains, Great Lakes region, and northeastern North America.

Habitat: Moist woods and streambanks to open, rocky hillsides from low elevations to the subalpine.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies

Perennial herbs from wide-spreading rhizomes, the erect flowering stems 2-6 dm tall.

Leaves alternate, sessile, flat to folded, oblong-lanceolate, pointed, 5-17 cm long and 1.5-5 cm broad, glabrous to pubescent at least on the lower side, heavily veined.

Flowers 5-20 in a raceme 3-6 cm long, the rachis usually zig-zag; pedicels 5-20 mm long; tepals 6, white, narrowly oblong, 4-7 mm long, much longer than the 6 stamens; style 1 mm long.

Fruit a berry, greenish-yellow becoming blackish.