Grows well in partial to full shade, prefers medium to wet soils, foliage grows up to 3’ while racemes grow up to 7’ tall. Produces tall racemes of white blossoms from spring to summer. Will spread by rhizomes, but very slowly, making it great for gardens.

“Black cohosh is valued by several eastern tribes including the Cherokee, Delaware, Iroquois, Micmac, and Penobscot, as a general tonic, cold remedy, diuretic, sedative, dermatological and gynecological aid, abortifacient, antirheumatic, and analgesic.” - Enrique Salmón, Iwígara: The Kinship of People and Plants

I love black cohosh because of its towering white racemes.There is little more beautiful than the contrast of the long racemes covered in white buds reaching skyward against the backdrop of a cloudless blue sky. I still remember the first time I noticed it planted en masse, near the old entrance, at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, all in bloom, it was a gorgeous and memorable display.