Here are the Bugbanes together on one page so you can compare them side by side.

Cimicifuga simplex var. simplex 'James Compton'

Cimicifuga simplex var. simplex ‘James Compton’

Cimicifuga simplex var. simplex 'Hillside Black Beauty'

Cimicifuga simplex var. simplex ‘Hillside Black Beauty’

Cimicifuga simplex var simplex 'Pink Spike'

Cimicifuga simplex var simplex ‘Pink Spike’

  • Actaea simplex ‘Pink Spike’ ( Cimicifuga simplex var. simplex ‘Pink Spike’ ). Autumn Snakeroot. This variety comes with the exquisite black leaves of the Atropurpureum Group with cylindrical flower heads that have a pink tinge owing to the pink colour of the stamens.  The deeply divided rich purple black leaves and tall waving wands of pink budded white flowers produced as late as Oct are very distinguished. Best with moist soil. No need to stake. Immune to slugs. Western China to Korea. 1.2m
Actaea simplex 'Black Negligee' syn. Cimicifuga

Actaea simplex ‘Black Negligee’ syn. Cimicifuga

  • Actaea simplex ‘Black Negligee’ syn. Cimicifuga is an extremely handsome plant of great distinction with its deeply divided rich purple black leaves and tall waving wand of pink budded white flowers produced as late as Oct. Dark colour becomes more apparent on older plants. Best with moist soil. No need to stake. Immune to slugs

Actaea matsumerae 'White Pearl' (Cimicifuga)

Actaea matsumerae ‘White Pearl’ (Cimicifuga)

  • Bugbane. Actaea matsumerae ‘White Pearl’ (Cimicifuga) is an easily grown plant for cool moist shade, rewarding you with some of the last blooms of the year, later even than the purple leaved simplex varieties. The clean pure-white bottle-brush flower spikes are borne in late autumn on tall slender stems over foliage which is a fesh pale apple-green. Needs no staking and resists slug damage. 120cm

Cimicifuga has now been absorbed into the Genus Actaea, but I have retained the synonym to help those more familiar with the old name. The main difference that seperates the two is the dry follicles of Cimicifuga and the fleshy berries in Actaea. They are easy going long-lived perennials for growing in moist shade. They flower form late Summer into Autumn at a time when flowers are getting scarce, they never need staking and they are just about pest free – the name Cimicifuga (‘cimex’ =  bug, ‘fugere’ = drive away) and Bugbane deriving from this property. Cimicifuga europea (Cimicifuga foetida) is used as an insect repellent in Russia.

There are Cimicifugas present right across the Northern Temperate zone, but all are happy in the same moist leafy soil. The American species tend to be deeper rooting and a little more tolerant of drier conditions.

The flowers and dried seed heads of Cimicifuga are both good for flower arranging, but some find the smell of the flowers off-putting at close quarters.

Cimicifuga racemosa is known in North America as Black Snakeroot or Black Cohosh where it is a much used herb and thought to have effect against the bite of a rattlesnake. This was learnt from the native Americans, who call it ‘Candle of the Woods’. The North American settlers used it extensively as a bed bug repellent in their mattress stuffings. The vernacular name of Cimiciguga dahurica, from Asia, is bug chaser dahurian, showing similar properties.

They are however moderately toxic and closely related to the Actaeas which are extremely toxic.

Acteae are members of the Buttercup Family, The Ranunculaceae