Cimicifuga foetida Seeds | Foetid Bugbane
LATIN NAME: Cimicifuga foetida
COMMON NAME: Foetid Bugbane
Plant Profile
Cimicifuga foetida, commonly known as Foetid Bugbane, is a perennial in the buttercup family. Foetid bugbane raises tall, white, bottlebrush-like spikes above bold, divided leaves, and the whole plant carries the stately look of the cool meadow. It is a plant of half-shaded, deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground. Through the flowering season it keeps visiting bees well supplied. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
Botanists studying the buttercup family regularly include Cimicifuga foetida in comparative work, and the species also appears in horticultural trials aimed at gardeners and growers. Raising it from seed today is a matter of ordinary good practice rather than specialist skill.
Uses & Benefits
Foetid Bugbane brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Foetid bugbane is a stately, useful plant of cool meadow and study collection. It is a stately, useful plant of half-shaded, deep, rich, moist, well-drained garden. Bugbane seeds start well in a fine, loamy mix kept steadily moist in a bright, shaded spot. Routine care after establishment is refreshingly light.
Black cohosh rhizome is one of the most clinically studied herbal medicines, with standardized extracts used widely for menopausal hot flashes; Chinese medicine uses related species as Sheng Ma for raising clear qi.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Foetid Bugbane under ordinary good conditions. Sow the seed evenly over the surface and cover lightly, using a loose, well-drained seed compost, and keep it just moist in bright light until the seedlings are well up. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Among the Cimicifuga group, it is one of the more distinctive species in cultivation. After establishment, care settles into an easy routine.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Foetid Bugbane often pair it with these related subjects: