Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa or Cimicifuga racemosa)
Black Cohosh makes quite the statement in the shade garden. The flowers bloom when few other shade plants are blooming, providing both nectar and pollen to insect visitors. While it can take a while for this plant to bloom, those candelabra flower spikes are worth it. Deer and other mammalian herbivores do not seem to bother Black Cohosh because of its toxic foliage.
Photo Credit: Felix
Black Cohosh makes quite the statement in the shade garden. The flowers bloom when few other shade plants are blooming, providing both nectar and pollen to insect visitors. While it can take a while for this plant to bloom, those candelabra flower spikes are worth it. Deer and other mammalian herbivores do not seem to bother Black Cohosh because of its toxic foliage.
Photo Credit: Felix
Black Cohosh makes quite the statement in the shade garden. The flowers bloom when few other shade plants are blooming, providing both nectar and pollen to insect visitors. While it can take a while for this plant to bloom, those candelabra flower spikes are worth it. Deer and other mammalian herbivores do not seem to bother Black Cohosh because of its toxic foliage.
Photo Credit: Felix
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Partial-Shade
Soil Moisture: Medium/wet – Medium
Height: 3-7 feet
Plant Spacing: 2-3 feet
Bloom Time: May-September
Bloom Color: White
Advantages: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant, Great Landscaping plant
Host Plant: 2 species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (Johnson and Colla, 2023)
Resource: Johnson, Lorraine, and Sheila Colla. A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators: Creating Habitat in the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Upper Midwest. Island Press, 2023
