Harbingers of Fall Part VI: Cimicifuga

I haven't tried division and have read that it can be difficult on older plants. Seeds do require two periods of cold stratification to germinate well, if you want to try them. Plant them in pots, topped with grit and put the pots outside for the winter, protected by a screen cover.

My plant is one of about twenty species of Cimicifuga native to the North Temperate Zones. UPDATE As of 1999, the entire genus has been subsumed into the genus Actaea. I probably won't stop calling my plants Cimicifuga any time soon - but you ought to be aware of this. Of these species, only two others are fairly common, although more are being made available each year through the efforts of plant explorers like Dan Hinkley :

• Cimicifuga racemosa (Bugbane, Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot). This species, because of the chemical properties of its black, knotted, rootstocks, has been used in herbal medicines for centuries. Although I'm interested in herbs, I haven't explored the medicinal side and I was amazed to find that about 98% of the hits generated from a web search on 'cimicifuga' were medicinally oriented. If you are particularly interested in this aspect of plants, Bianca's Herb Patch has a bit of information as does A Discourse From the Honest Herbal. If you're really interested in the medicinal properties of plants, the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine has a page of abstracts of technical articles that can start you on your way in researching this plant. Health World's Herbal Materia Medica site also has extensive information on the medicinal uses of Cimicifuga racemosa

  C. racemosa, which is about the same size as C. simplex var simplex, also makes a very nice plant for the border. It is native to the Northeastern United States and hardy from USDA zones 3 to 10, although it does not appreciate the high humidity of Florida and southern Georgia. It is similar to C. americana, a native to the mountain regions of the Eastern United States. C. cordifolia is also similar, but has smaller leaves and pale green flowers. This one is native to Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina.

• Cimicifuga simplex (Kamchatka Bugbane), native to Siberia, Manchuria, Kamchatka and Japan, is a smaller plant than C. racemosa or C. ramosa, topping out at about four feet
  The copyright of the article Harbingers of Fall Part VI: Cimicifuga in Shade Gardening is owned by Marge Talt. Permission to republish Harbingers of Fall Part VI: Cimicifuga in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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