Cimicifuga foetida seed

LATIN NAME: Cimicifuga foetida

COMMON NAME: Foetid Bugbane

The foetid bugbane raises the tall, white, bottlebrush-like spikes above the bold, divided leaves, and the whole plant carries the stately look of the cool meadow. The hardy, clump-forming, perennial herb of the cool woods carries the large, bold, ternately divided leaves, and the many small, white flowers in the long, dense, bottlebrush-like racemes through the late summer, one of the stately, quiet sights of the cool meadow, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, dry, brownish capsules. The tall spikes have a very long record in the old practice of the cool lands, and the plant is a historic presence of the cool meadow. It is a plant of the half-shaded, deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The foetid bugbane is a historic subject of the plant science, and the bottlebrush-like spikes keep showing up in the work on the tall woodland herbs. The way the many small, white flowers form in the long, dense racemes above the bold, divided leaves has been studied closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the woodland herbs, the divided leaves and the members of the buttercup family. The tall spikes and the stately habit have also made it a fine study herb, and the foetid bugbane is a regular subject of the work on the bottlebrush-like spikes of the cool world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The foetid bugbane is a stately, useful plant of the cool meadow and the study collection. The large, bold, ternately divided leaves carry the stately look of the cool meadow, one of the stately, quiet sights of the cool meadow, drawing the bees, and the tall spikes have a very long record in the old practice of the cool lands, the dried roots coming to the old remedies and the steady practice of the old shops, while the many small, white flowers in the long, dense, bottlebrush-like racemes open through the late summer, to be followed by the small, dry, brownish capsules. It is one of the fine choices for the cool meadow, the woodland border and the study collection, and it has been written about in the horticultural and the botanical papers for the tall spikes and the very long history. It is a stately, useful plant of the half-shaded, deep, rich, moist, well-drained garden.

The bugbane seeds start well in a fine, loamy mix kept steadily moist in a bright, shaded spot. The young plants are bold and easy once they root, and they appreciate the deep, rich, cool ground of the woodland border.

To grow the foetid bugbane from seed, sow the small, dark seeds into the deep tray of fine, gritty soil, water gently, then keep the tray in a bright, shaded spot. The seedlings appear within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. With the half shade and the deep, rich, moist ground, the white spikes will rise over the years.