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Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) ‘James Compton’ (Baneberry)

Baneberry 'James Compton', Bugbane 'James Compton', Cimicifuga ramosa 'James Compton', Cimicifuga simplex 'James Compton', Cohosh 'James Compton', Actaea simplex 'James Compton', James Compton Snakeroot

AGM Award
Baneberry 'James Compton', Bugbane 'James Compton', Cimicifuga Ramosa 'James Compton', Cimicifuga Simplex (Atropurpurea Group) 'James Compton', Cohosh 'James Compton'

Fabulous at adding architectural height and late summer blooms to a shaded border, award-winning Actaea simplex ‘James Compton’ (Baneberry) is a striking, compact, bronze-leaved bugbane variety. Opening from pink buds in late summer to early fall, attractive, purple stemmed fluffy spires, packed with deliciously fragrant white flowers with a pink tinge, gracefully bob and sway in the breeze. They rise elegantly above a bronze, almost black, lacy foliage, which provides excellent texture and color to the landscape throughout the growing season. Spectacular with golden Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa Macra).

  • Won the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
  • Typically growing up to 3 ft. tall (90 cm) and 2 ft. wide (60 cm), this Baneberry 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 the fall or by division in early spring.
  • Actaea simplex is native to Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and Siberian regions of Russia, western China, Manchuria, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan.

Requirements

Hardiness 4 - 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, Snakeroot, Baneberry, Cohosh
Exposure Partial Sun, Shade
Season of Interest Summer (Late)
Fall
Height 2' - 3'
(60cm - 90cm)
Spread 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spacing 18" - 24"
(50cm - 60cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Clay, Loam
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Moisture Retentive
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Full Shade, Deer, Rabbit
Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees, Birds
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 racemosa (Black Cohosh)
Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) ‘Mountain Wave’ (Baneberry)
Actaea simplex ‘Pink Spike’ (Baneberry)

Recommended Companion Plants

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

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 4 - 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, Snakeroot, Baneberry, Cohosh
Exposure Partial Sun, Shade
Season of Interest Summer (Late)
Fall
Height 2' - 3'
(60cm - 90cm)
Spread 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spacing 18" - 24"
(50cm - 60cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Clay, Loam
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Moisture Retentive
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Fragrant, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Full Shade, Deer, Rabbit
Attracts Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees, Birds
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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