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Resources < Wildlife Habitats < Guide to Native Plants of Georgia for Wildlife < Actaea racemosa
Black Cohosh is yet another of the stunning woodland plants from eastern North America, which is particularly diverse and home to other spectacular plants like Trilliums, Bloodroot, Blue Cohosh, Columbine, Mountainlaurel, Solomon’s Seal, Dutchman’s Breeches, Wild Bleeding Heart, Mayapple, Trout Lily, and Jack in the Pulpit. All of these are excellent companion plants to Black Cohosh. In early summer, the candle-flowers of Black Cohosh light up the forest. They are beautiful spires of white which are admirable up close and noticeable from a distance—not just to us, but to the hordes of moths they attract at night to pollinate them.
Black Cohosh is a versatile plant as a specimen or in clumps as the centerpiece of a shade garden. It is one of the tallest-growing species of woodland flora and looks marvelous beside the equally handsome Goatsbeard.
Black Cohosh has a very interesting history. It was renowned by Native Americans for its ability to repel biting insects and as a treatment for snakebites. More recently, it has been commercially cultivated for medicinal purposes, primarily to support women’s issues, particularly menopause. For this reason, it is becoming rarer due to wild collection by disreputable dealers. Protect wild populations by verifying that nursery plants are legally propagated and cultivated before purchasing for the home garden.
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup)
Large, shrublike perennial whose root system forms a clump over time. Leaflets are ovate to oblong, pointed at the tips and generally triangular at the base. Inflorescence appears on long fleshy stalks and has a slight, pleasant fragrance. Flowers are borne on elongated, narrow racemes and have a long bloom time in summer. Flowers are small and white. Seeds are tiny and wind-dispersed.
3 to 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Clump-forming, shrublike perennial
Moderate to slow
Full shade to some morning sun
Plant Cohosh in shade or on forest edges where it will receive only brief morning sun. The primary challenge with this plant, particularly in hardiness zones above 6, is keeping it cool and moist in summer. Shade, mulch, and great attention to irrigation are keys to succeeding with Black Cohosh.
The primary asset of Black Cohosh is its amazing flower spikes. Its height allows it to be combined well with other native woodland flowers. It flowers after many ephemeral spring wildflowers like Trilliums, Bloodroot, and Trout Lily and thereby provides longer interest. Its long bloom time of 2-3 weeks in early summer also fills a great niche in the landscape.
Black Cohosh is perfect for shade gardens or naturalization in a deeply wooded acreage. It works well on stream banks, too. It is a versatile companion to the wealth of woodland wildflowers of the southeast.
Native in and around the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern US. It prefers cool summers and moist woods.
The foliage of Black Cohosh is a larval food plant for the spring azure butterfly, whose sky-blue iridescent wings are a delight to see floating through the woods.
Root/clump division; also stratified seed.
Also known as
Fairy Candles,
Black Snakeroot,
Common Bugbane
Text by Kevin Tarner, Georgia Wildlife Federation
Photos courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden Plantfinder
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