Description
Actaea simplex ‘Hillside Black Beauty’ (Cimicifuga) – Atropurpurea Group (Cimicifuga simplex var. simplex ‘Hillside Black Beauty’)
Autumn Snakeroot. Actaea simplex ‘Hillside Black Beauty’ (Cimicifuga) is possibly the best selected black leaved form of an already extremely handsome plant. The deeply divided rich purple black leaves and tall waving wand of pink budded white flowers produced as late as Oct are very distinguished. Leaves fade to a dark brownish green by Autumn. Best with moist soil. No need to stake. Immune to slugs. Western China to Korea. 1.2m
Bugbanes – Actaea and Cimicifuga
Actaea has now absorbed the Genus Cimicifuga, but I have retained the synonym to help those more familiar with the old name. The main difference that separates 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. Russians use Cimicifuga europea (Cimicifuga foetida) as an insect repellent.
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. Amongst Native Americans it is a much used herb and thought to have effect against the bite of a rattlesnake. They call it ‘Candle of the Woods’. North American settlers learnt this and used it extensively as a bed bug repellent in their mattress stuffings. The vernacular name of Cimiciguga dahurica, from Asia, is bug chaser dahurian, reinforcing the similar properties.
They are however moderately toxic and closely related to the Actaeas which are extremely toxic.
Derivation
Actaea are members of the Buttercup Family, The Ranunculaceae
Actaea comes form the Greek ‘Aktea’ – The Elder Tree
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