Actea (Cimicifuga) racemosa – Black Cohosh

General Information: Black Cohosh is an increasingly popular medicinal herb and a wonderful native plant to the eastern United States. It is increasingly uncommon in their range’s northern and western reaches due to habitat loss, overharvesting, and shifts in climate. In the wild, Black Cohosh grows along forest edges and in clearings. Black cohosh will do well in a shady spot in the home garden. They thrive anywhere their roots can stay consistently moist, blooming throughout the summer. While slow to establish, with the proper care, this species can be encouraged to clump and form a colony. Their upright white candle-like stalks of flowers (racemes) have a unique scent and serve as a pollinator attractant and an ornament. Some people report that the smell of this plant is appealing, while others have described it as sour, acrid, or medicinal. The root of this species has been used as a traditional medicine by Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial. Although the root is the active principle of the plant, we encourage growers to harvest with caution, as the plant is slow to re-establish once the root has been cut. All portions of the dried plant are known to repel insects.

Cultivation Details: Black Cohosh is an excellent companion to other shade-loving pollinator plants such as Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum), Blue-Stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia), Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), and Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica). Consider Black Cohosh in a pollinator garden, for rewilding, in woodland gardens, along borders, on field edges, along shady foundations, and shady walls.

Growing Requirements: Plant in partial sun to deep shade. Tolerates no more than 3-4 hours of direct sun Plants that receive too much sun develop leaf scorch. Prefers rich, moist, well-drained soils. Does not tolerate dry soils. Plants are most successfully established when mulched with a deep layer of organic matter. Prefers sandy or loamy soils rich in organic matter. Tolerates clay soils provided there is adequate organic matter. Suitable for mildly acidic and neutral soils. May tolerate alkaline soils if organic mulch is applied.

Fun Facts: The word “Cohosh” derives from the Algonquian word “*kkwὰhas,” meaning “rough.” The occasionally used species name Cimicifuga references the plant’s ability to repel insects, as it translates to “repels Bedbugs.”