Actaea racemosa- Black Cohosh

Black Cohosh is a unique woodland native with attractive foliage and a truly spectacular floral display. In the spring its vertical racemes pierce the air, each spire up to a foot long and lined with little white horizontal stalks that end in perfect white spheres. These striking buds persist for weeks before the frilly flowers burst forth and give the wands an enchanting appearance. While the blooms’ fragrance can be off-putting to the human nose, it calls to pollinators far and wide, who flock to the somewhat funky smell. Compound leaves of a rich green form a bushy shape below the floral spikes and host the larvae of several species of Azure butterfly. This plant is slow to establish, often taking several years to reach maturity, but when happy will steadily spread via rhizome to fill its surrounding area. Leaves will scorch if soil is allowed to dry out. Deer and rabbit resistant Sun: Partial, Shade Soil: Medium-Wet, Medium Bloom Time: May, June, July, August Color: White Height: 7ft