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Actaea racemosa (Black Cohosh)

Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Black Cohosh, Cohosh Bugbane, Cimicifuga racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa var. racemosa

AGM Award
Actaea racemosa, Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Black Cohosh, Cohosh Bugbane, Cimicifuga racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa var. racemosa, White flowers

Striking all summer long, award-winning Actaea racemosa (Black Cohosh) is a beautiful perennial with deep green, finely divided foliage, enhanced by gracefully arching wands of fragrant white flowers in late summer and fall. The blooms are packed in fluffy spikes, up to 2 ft. long (60 cm), which rise well above the foliage and mature into attractive seed pods. A standout as a vertical accent plant in the shade garden, where its flowers will shine as fairy candles.

  • Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
  • Typically grows up to 4-6 ft. tall (120-180 cm) and 2-4 ft. wide (60-120 cm). Plants will take about 3 years to develop into a mature clump.
  • Thrives in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Moist, moderately fertile soil, enriched with organic matter is preferred. Don’t let the soil dry out or the foliage will suffer. Provide a sheltered location from strong winds. The flower spires tend to bend toward bright light when grown in substantial shade.
  • Trouble-free and easy to care for, Baneberry is a welcomed addition to beds, borders, woodlands, cottage gardens, and naturalized areas.
  • Attracts birds and butterflies and deer ignore it!
  • Cut back after flowering or fruiting. Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in fall or by division in early spring
  • Native to North America.

Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 8
Heat Zones 1 - 9
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 17
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Ranunculaceae
Genus Actaea
Common names Bugbane, Black Snakeroot, Black Cohosh, Baneberry
Exposure Partial Sun, Shade
Season of Interest Summer (Late)
Fall
Height 4' - 6'
(120cm - 180cm)
Spread 2' - 4'
(60cm - 120cm)
Spacing 48" (120cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Clay, Loam
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Poorly Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy
Native Plants United States, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maine, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky
Tolerance Full Shade, Deer, Rabbit
Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees
Garden Uses Beds And Borders
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Actaea rubra (Red Baneberry)
Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) ‘Hillside Black Beauty’ (Baneberry)
Actaea pachypoda (White Baneberry)
Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) ‘Mountain Wave’ (Baneberry)
Actaea simplex ‘Pink Spike’ (Baneberry)
Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) ‘Black Negligee’ (Baneberry)

Recommended Companion Plants

Aster novae-angliae (New England Aster)
Hakonechloa macra (Hakone Grass)
Hosta (Plantain Lily)
Persicaria amplexicaulis (Mountain Fleece)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

30 Great Perennials for Shade
Actaea simplex (Bugbane)
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 8
Heat Zones 1 - 9
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 17
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Ranunculaceae
Genus Actaea
Common names Bugbane, Black Snakeroot, Black Cohosh, Baneberry
Exposure Partial Sun, Shade
Season of Interest Summer (Late)
Fall
Height 4' - 6'
(120cm - 180cm)
Spread 2' - 4'
(60cm - 120cm)
Spacing 48" (120cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Clay, Loam
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Poorly Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy
Native Plants United States, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maine, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky
Tolerance Full Shade, Deer, Rabbit
Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees
Garden Uses Beds And Borders
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Guides with
Actaea (Baneberry)
Not sure which Actaea (Baneberry) to pick?
Compare Now

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