Asperagaceae / Maianthemum spp. / Galaxy Berries

Also called False-Solomon's Seal (but you know how I feel about -false monikers), Maianthemum stellatum, along with their big brother (Mainthemum racemosum), are a common sight in our woodland and riparian ecosystems. 

Colony-forming perennials, they emerge in the spring with large reddish sheaths; leaves pressed into a pointed tip. As they grow, we notice alternate leaves with the veins running parallel. If you feel these, you will notice that both the main and minor veins protrude below the leaf and give it a very 3-dimensional form. 

The flower clusters are often described as Christmas-tree shaped. Individuals are small with 6 tiny linear white tepals (a term used for petals + sepals that are hard to differentiate). 

The fruits are one of the most fascinating of the forest. They begin gold but then turn soft and red when mature, going through a beautiful speckled stage that could best be described as a Willy-Wonka candy. Their flavor also follows this theme, very sweet at first which then gives way to a bitter aftertaste. 

Rhizomes can be eaten all year from healthy stands. These were traditionally soaked in a wood ash lye or other alkaline solution to remove their irritating quality, then boiled. Shoots were collected in spring before the leaves unfurled to be cooked like asparagus and the ripe berries are a fun fall trail nibble. 

One very common look-similar is our deadly toxic native Corn Lily / Veratrum spp. Completely distinct in their more mature forms, the young shoots can be differentiated by a white (Corn Lily) vs. red sheath.