Actaea cimicifuga var. racemosa

RHS Plant Profile
racemose-flowered foetid bugbane

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A clump-forming, herbaceous perennial, producing tall bottlebrush-like, slender racemes of white flowers in summer, to 1.5m (5ft) high, above bright green divided foliage.

Position

Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Partial shade
Aspect
North–facing or East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H7

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Ranunculaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
Potentially harmful
Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus
Actaea are rhizomatous herbaceous perennials with compound leaves and small creamy-white flowers in short, erect, simple or branched terminal racemes, followed either by poisonous red, black or white berries, or by star-shaped clustered brown follicles
Name Status
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in cool, moist, moderately fertile soil, enriched with organic matter. Water thoroughly in dry weather.

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown when ripe in containers in a cold frame or in a nursery bed in autumn, or by division in early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back after flowering

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free