Simple bugbane is a woodland perennial from East Asia with tall spikes of small, fragrant white flowers that open late in the season. It is not native to the US, where it is best known in gardens through dark-leaved selections such as 'Brunette' and 'Hillside Black Beauty', often still sold under the old name Cimicifuga.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A clump-forming perennial, typically about 4 ft (1.2 m) tall and 2 ft (0.6 m) wide in gardens. Wild plants can reach about 5 ft (1.5 m).
- Leaves
- Large leaves divided two or three times into threes, with sharply toothed leaflets. The foliage has an unpleasant smell, which is where the name "bugbane" comes from.
- Flowers
- Dense spikes 8–12 in (20–30 cm) long of tiny white flowers. The petals fall early, leaving long stamens that make each spike look like a bottlebrush.
- Flowering time
- In US gardens it blooms from late summer into early fall.
- Fruit
- Small pods that split open along one side, each holding about three seeds.
Look-alikes
Black cohosh is native to eastern North America and blooms earlier, in late spring to midsummer, on spikes up to 20 in (50 cm) long. Simple bugbane flowers later in the season. Most dark-leaved "atropurpurea" plants on the market are selections of simple bugbane, not black cohosh.
Why they get mixed upBoth have tall white bottlebrush spikes, and dark-leaved "atropurpurea" plants are listed under both names.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- mountain forests
- grasslands
- shade gardens
- Range
- Native to Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia, and Siberian Russia including Sakhalin and Kamchatka. It is not native to the US but is widely grown in gardens.
- Preferred conditions
- In the wild it grows under deciduous forest or in grassland, in partial shade and rich, well-drained soil.
Growing it
- Care
- Grows best in USDA zones 4–8 in part to full shade and evenly moist soil. Don't let it dry out in hot, sunny spots.
- Toxicity
- May be harmful if eaten, and the sap may irritate skin.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Formerly Cimicifuga simplex; recent classifications place it in Actaea along with the baneberries.
- Varieties and forms
- The Atropurpurea Group has deep purple to nearly black stems and leaves and pink-tinged flowers.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
More species to explore
Record what you meet and build your own collection
Your photos are kept with their date and place, and you can fill regional albums one species at a time.