WashingtonGardener: Black Cohosh Plant Profile

Wednesday, July 09, 2025

Black Cohosh Plant Profile

Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa formerly Cimicifuga racemosa) is a perennial plant with a base of dark green foliage that sends up tall white blooms in the early summer. It can grow from 3 to 8 feet tall and about 3 feet wide.

It is also known as Bugbane, Fairy Candle, and Black snakeroot. It is a member of the Buttercup family.

It is native to the eastern half of the U.S., where it grows naturally in moist deciduous woodlands. It is hardy to USDA Zones 3 to 8.

Black Cohosh prefers to grow in full to part shade in rich soils, yet is fairly drought tolerant once established.

Black Cohosh is a good choice for filling in the spaces when spring ephemerals have gone dormant.

Native Americans used Black Cohosh for a variety of medicinal purposes and it is used today in menopause treatments.

Pollinators love it. It is also the larval host for the Appalachian Azure butterfly. It is deer-and rabbit-resistant.

Black Cohosh can be started easily from seed. The seeds should be collected in the fall and planted immediately. It will take a couple years for the plants to flower. You can also divide the plants in the early spring or late fall.

Black Cohosh: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Audio, video, and text by Kathy Jentz

Editing by Ian Ferris

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