This one has had my family stumped for years.

My grandmother planted it. Sometime between 70's and mid 80's during the time she lived in this house. (I can verify that part for sure, no one else has planted anything in this particular spot since then.) The story goes it came from a plant that was located at her prior house, but I can't verify that.

Every year it appears the same. There is a fleshy stem that emerges maybe around July bearing only leaves. (It could be emerging earlier but it hidden by irises.) Bright green, long, pointed leaves, almost a tropical look. Their growth pattern reminds me of a peony. Then a single fleshy stem branches out bearing a single cluster of berries that start out green and turn a bright true red in August. My uncle believes it's toxic to pets/people if ingested, and that it is a bulb of some sort. (I don't know if it's a bulb or tuber, don't want to dig it up to find out for fear of destroying it). It never grows more than a single stalk of berries in any given year. It has not naturalized or spread in any way, but the irises are so thick they could be choking it. It's in zone 6. I had to cut away the iris stalks to get this photo, otherwise they bury it.

Where it's located it gets full sun (southern exposure). It's in clay soil that tends to be very dry (it's under an overhang). It is sheltered from cold north winds of winter by the building it's planted near.

Berries as they appear about mid-August, cluster is probably 3" long. Each berry about the size of a large pea.

{{gwi:335280}}

Leaves on the large side, bright/lighter green, long and pointed. Almost tropical looking. The darker green leaves at the bottom of the photo are on a branch from a nearby butterfly bush, if that helps give any size perspective.

{{gwi:335281}}

Any help appreciated!