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Black Cohosh main item image
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Black Cohosh

plants
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$22.00
Item: 7809-A
stock details: 4" pots
Actaea racemosa

5–7' tall. Also known as Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, or Fairy Candles; formerly known as Cimicifuga racemosa. 

This North American native provides the ultimate backdrop for the lightly shaded woodland garden. From mid to late summer, long serpentine racemes of creamy white odoriferous flowers soar high above a 3–4' mound of fine-textured green compound foliage. Some folks like the smell, while others find it a bit rotten. 

Roots are harvested and used medicinally for their anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and diuretic properties. Widely included in many premenstrual and perimenopausal herbal formulas. Avoid during pregnancy.

Marvelous pollinator plant. As the pearl-like buds open along the raceme, the musky scent calls in all manner of native bee species. Notably a larval host plant for multiple species of azure butterflies in Appalachian forest regions.

Prefers part shade, but tolerates more sun in deep moist soil. Grows well in wet spots. Slowly develops large rhizomatous roots; plant 3' apart so it has room to spread. Native to eastern North America. Zone 3.
ships in spring
Quick Details
Bloom Color
white
Lifecycle
perennial
Hardy to Zone
3
Additional Information

Herbaceous Perennial Plants

When you receive your order, open the bags and check the stock immediately. Roots and crowns should be firm and pliable. Surface mold is harmless and will not affect the plant’s future performance. Store plants in their packaging in a cool (35–40°) location until you are ready to plant. If it’s going to be awhile, you can pot up your perennials.

Do not plant bare-root perennial plant crowns directly outdoors before danger of frost has passed. Wet and/or cold conditions for an extended period may cause rotting.

For more info:
About planting bare-root perennials

Medicinal and Culinary Herbs

These plants have long histories of traditional culinary and medicinal uses. It’s up to you to educate yourself about the safety and efficacy of using plants for medicinal purposes. The statements in our catalog and website regarding traditional medicinal uses of plants have not been evaluated by the FDA. The plants we sell are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Plants may take a year or more to establish before they flower; roots often take several years to reach harvestable maturity.

Herbs

See Herb Chart for uses and cultural information.

About medicinal herbs: Archeological evidence dates the medicinal use of herbs back 60,000 years to the Neanderthals. 85% of the world’s population employ herbs as medicines, and 40% of pharmaceuticals in the U.S. contain plant-derived materials. Fewer than 10% of higher plant species have been investigated for their medicinal components. Interest in traditional herbal remedies continues to grow.

Statements about medicinal use of plants have not been evaluated by the FDA, and should not be used for the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any ailment. Before using or ingesting any medicinal plant, consult a healthcare practitioner familiar with botanical medicine.

Takinagawa Burdock and Resina Calendula, as well as oats, mammoth red clover and alfalfa in the Farm Seed section, also have medicinal uses. Medicinal herbs such as black cohosh, licorice, and many more are available as plants, and shipped in the spring with orders from our perennial plants warehouse.

Culture: Some herbs are customarily grown from divisions because they cannot come true from seed, such as scented thymes and flavored mints. Some require fall sowing of fresh seed, such as sweet cicely and angelica.

Using herbs: Drying herbs at home is not difficult. Whole leaves retain their flavor at least a year. To substitute fresh herbs for dried in cooking, use triple the dried quantity called for in a recipe.

Shipping

Items from our perennial plants warehouse ship from early March through mid-to-late May, weather depending, beginning with warmer USDA zones.