This woodland plant is named for its edible, cucumber-flavored root, once eaten by Native Americans. It grows in shady forests with two tiers of leaves: a lower whorl of broad, green leaves and an upper tier of smaller leaves. In late spring, it produces delicate, yellow-green, star-shaped flowers that dangle beneath the upper leaves, later forming dark purple berries. Its layered growth and striking fruit make Indian Cucumber a distinctive feature of the forest understory.