Actaea racemosa seed
LATIN NAME: Actaea racemosa
COMMON NAME: Black Cohosh
Black cohosh is the tall, handsome, woodland perennial of the eastern woods, and its long, airy spikes of the small, cream-white flowers are one of the fine sights of the early summer shade garden. The strong, upright stems rise from the large, divided, toothed leaves and carry the slender, bottle-brush spikes of the many small, fragrant, cream-white flowers. The plant is a mainstay of the native woodland garden, and it has a very long record of use among the people of the region. It is a fine, generous plant of the cool, moist, shaded spot.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Black cohosh has a well-documented place in the plant science, and the roots and the rhizomes have been studied for a long time for their place in the traditional practice of the region. The compounds in the plant, which has a very long record of use, have been looked into, and it keeps showing up in the work on the traditional remedies of the eastern woods. The tall, airy spikes of the flowers and the large, divided leaves have also made it a fine garden plant, and it is a regular subject of the studies of the native woodland perennials and the medicinal plants of the old practice.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Black cohosh is grown for the tall, airy spikes of the flowers and the long record of use. The plant has a traditional place in the practice of the region, and the roots and the rhizomes have been gathered and studied for a very long time. In the garden the slender, cream-white spikes are a fine, generous sight in the early summer shade, and the plant is a mainstay of the native woodland border. It has been written about in the botanical and the herbal papers for its long history of use, and it is a fine, easy plant of the cool, moist, shaded spot.
Black cohosh grows naturally in the cool, moist shade of the eastern woods, where it is one of the fine, stately plants of the late spring and the early summer. The tall, airy spikes of the small, cream-white flowers are a generous food for the bees and the early butterflies, and the large, divided leaves give the plant a fine, bold look. It is a long-lived, dependable plant of the woodland border.
The black cohosh is a fine, easy plant for the woodland border and the north side of the house, and the tall, airy spikes give the shade garden a fine, stately look through the early summer. The plant grows on well in the cool, leafy soil and asks for very little once it is settled.
To grow the black cohosh from seed, mix the seeds with a little moist sand and keep them in the fridge for a cold month, then sow them at a shallow depth in pots of moist, rich soil, keep them in a cool, shaded spot and water gently. The seedlings thread up in good time and grow on slowly at first. A cool, moist, shaded spot with the rich, leafy soil will bring the airy, cream-white spikes in a couple of seasons.
Bugbane Cimicifuga Ramosa Atropurpurea is a herbaceous perennial native to North America woodlands. Bugbane seeds can be started indoors or outdoors. Also known as Actaea Racemosa, Black Snakeroot, Black Cohosh, and Fairy Candles this wildflower has extremely ornamental, clumping foliage that changes its color from purple-green in spring to dark green in summer, and blooms with absolutely astonishing, tall, bottle-brush spikes of small ivory-white flowers. Bugbane flowers are strongly scented, and the blooming Bugbane floods the garden with the delightful fragrance, attracting a wide range of beneficial pollinators.
Bugbane Cimicifuga is an excellent choice for creating a spectacular vertical accent in the back of the border, and this perennial plant is one of the best tall perennials for woodland and native planting. The cold, moist stratification is recommended for starting Cimicifuga Ramosa Atropurpurea seeds. Black Cohosh grows best in shade or partial shade and likes rich, moist soil, but the plant can tolerate some sun if it is grown in a cool location with enough moisture provided. Bugbane is a superb cut flower.
PLANT PROFILE
Season: Perennial
Height: 60 Inches
Bloom Season: Summer/Fall
Environment: Shade/Partial Shade
Soil Type: Average/Moist
USDA Zones: 3-8
PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS
Sow Indoors: Spring (8-12 weeks before last frost)
Sow Outdoors: Fall
Seed Depth: Surface sowing – press seeds slightly into soil
Germination Time: 12-18 Weeks