Actaea racemosa
North American native woodland perennial with tall white flower spikes and rhizomes containing estrogen-like bioactive compounds, traditionally used to relieve menopausal vasomotor symptoms and featured in dietary supplements, though efficacy evidence is inconclusive and reports of potential liver toxicity exist.
Common Names
Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Baneberry, Cohosh Bugbane
Summary
Actaea racemosa, commonly known as Black Cohosh, Black Bugbane, or Black Snakeroot, is a rhizomatous woodland perennial native to eastern North America. It grows in moist, rich soils of deciduous forests and reaches about 4–6 feet tall with deeply divided tripinnate leaves and wand-like stalks bearing cream to white flowers; seed capsules rattle when mature, providing a distinctive late-summer display that enhances shade gardens. Cultivation favors rich, moist, humus-rich soils in partial to full shade, tolerating some sun with adequate moisture; hardy in USDA zones 3–8; growth is slow to establish, propagation mainly by division; seeds possible but germination slow. The roots and rhizomes are the medicinal portion, historically used by Indigenous peoples for various conditions and today used in herbal medicine, with caution due to toxicity in large quantities and avoidance during pregnancy.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
48-72 inches
Spread
24 inches-4 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-8
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally partial shade; can grow in full sun with adequate moisture and in full shade.
Soil Type
Moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil (pH 5–6).
Soil Drainage
Moist, well-drained soil (humus-rich) that stays consistently moist.
Soil pH
Soils with a pH of 5-6 are ideal.
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Slow growth
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seed propagation, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, hummingbirds, and birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Geners. ex Steud.
- Publication
- Nomencl. Bot. [Steudel], ed. 2. 1: 22. 1840
- Synonym Of
- Trautvetteria palmata