# Black Cohosh (*actaea racemosa*)

Black Cohosh is a tall, beautiful plant with striking white flowers that look like fluffy clouds! It grows in shady forests and can be a fun discovery for nature explorers.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 6
- **Habitat:** Black Cohosh primarily lives in rich, moist woodlands and shady areas of forests.
- **Also known as:** Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Cimicifuga, Snakeroot

![Black Cohosh](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cimicifuga_racemosa_001.jpg&width=800)

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Valérie75 assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cimicifuga_racemosa_001.jpg)

## Appearance

The Black Cohosh has tall, dark green, deeply lobed leaves that form a bushy base. From mid-summer, it sends up slender, white, bottlebrush-like flower spikes that can reach over 6 feet tall, standing out in shaded woodlands.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ranunculales
- **Family:** Ranunculaceae
- **Genus:** Actaea

## Interesting facts

- Despite its name, its small fruits are actually dry and black, not berries!
- Its super-tall flower stalks can reach over 6 feet, towering above you!
- Some folks call it "fairy candles" because its white blooms glow in the forest.
- The tiny white flowers open from round buds, looking like little pearls on a string.

## Special abilities

- **Towering Lures:** Black Cohosh has tall, slender flower spikes that rise above surrounding plants, helping it attract pollinators from a distance.
- **Shade Seeker:** Black Cohosh can thrive in the dim light of dense forests, utilizing its large leaves to capture scarce sunlight for energy.
- **Underground Powerhouse:** This plant has a robust rhizome system that stores nutrients and energy, allowing it to survive harsh conditions and regrow each year.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 90-180 cm
- **Spread:** 45-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — drinks nectar, collects pollen
- **Pollinates:** Drone Fly (*Eristalis tenax*) — visits flowers for nectar

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before touching plants in the wild.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Black Cohosh?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Black Cohosh?

90-180 cm

### How wide does Black Cohosh spread?

45-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on Black Cohosh?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Black Cohosh bloom?

Late summer to fall

### Is Black Cohosh edible?

No

### Is Black Cohosh toxic?

Mild

### What is Black Cohosh's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Camp Misty Mount Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-misty-mount-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District
- [Minnesota Landscape Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/minnesota-landscape-arboretum) — Minnesota, US · Botanical Garden
- [Mt. Cuba Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mt-cuba-center) — Delaware, US · Botanical Garden
- [Buckingham Female Collegiate Institute Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/buckingham-female-collegiate-institute-historic-district) — Virginia, US · Historic District
- [Consolidated Gold Mine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/consolidated-gold-mine) — Georgia, US · Historic Site
- [Long Island Motor Parkway](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-island-motor-parkway) — New York, US · Park

[View all places to see Black Cohosh](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/black-cohosh)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Black Cohosh: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-cohosh)