Bookmark and Share
Cimicifuga racemosa - (L.)Nutt.                  
                   
Common Name Black Cohosh
Family Ranunculaceae
Synonyms
Known Hazards The plant is poisonous in large doses[7]. Large doses irritate nerve centres and may cause abortion[268].
Habitats Moist, mixed deciduous forests, wooded slopes, ravines, creek margins, thickets, moist meadowlands, forest margins, and especially mountainous terrain from sea level to 1500 metres[270].
Range Eastern N. America - Massachusetts to Ontario, south to Georgia and Tennessee.
Edibility Rating  
Medicinal Rating  
Care
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade

Summary        

Physical Characteristics        
 icon of manicon of flower
PERENNIAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in).
It is hardy to zone 4. It is in flower from Jul to October, and the seeds ripen from Aug to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)


The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland).It requires moist soil.




  
Habitats        
Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;
Edible Uses                                          
Edible Parts: Leaves.

Leaves - cooked[105]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal Uses


Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Alterative;  Antidote;  Antiinflammatory;  Antirheumatic;  Antispasmodic;  Astringent;  Birthing aid;  Cardiotonic;  Diaphoretic;  Diuretic;  Emmenagogue;  
Expectorant;  Homeopathy;  Hypnotic;  Hypoglycaemic;  Sedative;  Tonic;  Vasodilator;  Women's complaints.

Black cohosh is a traditional remedy of the North American Indians where it was used mainly to treat women's problems, especially painful periods and problems associated with the menopause[254]. A popular and widely used herbal remedy, it is effective in the treatment of a range of diseases[4]. The root is alterative, antidote, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, astringent, cardiotonic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, hypnotic, sedative, tonic and vasodilator[4, 7, 21, 46, 57, 165, 192, 222]. It is harvested in the autumn as the leaves die down, then cut into pieces and dried[4]. The root is toxic in overdose, it should be used with caution and be completely avoided by pregnant women[222]. See also the notes above on toxicity. The medically active ingredients are not soluble in water so a tincture of the root is normally used[222]. It is used in the treatment of rheumatism, as a sedative and an emmenagogue[213]. It is traditionally important in the treatment of women's complaints, acting specifically on the uterus it eases uterine cramps and has been used to help in childbirth[222, 268]. Research has shown that the root has oestrogenic activity and is thought to reduce levels of pituitary luteinizing hormone, thereby decreasing the ovaries production of progesterone[222, 254]. The root is also hypoglycaemic, sedative and anti-inflammatory[222]. Used in conjunction with St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) it is 78% effective in treating hot flushes and other menopausal problems[254]. An extract of the root has been shown to strengthen the male reproductive organ in rats[222]. The root contains salicylic acid, which makes it of value in the treatment of various rheumatic problems - it is particularly effective in the acute stage of rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica and chorea[268]. Its sedative action makes it useful for treating a range of other complaints including tinnitus and high blood pressure[254]. The roots are used to make a homeopathic remedy[232]. This is used mainly for women, especially during pregnancy[232].
Other Uses
Repellent.

Both the growing and the dried plant can be used to repel bugs and fleas[211].
Cultivation details                                          
Prefers a moist humus rich soil and some shade[1, 111, 200]. Grows well in dappled shade[28, 31, 88]. Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1] and tolerates drier soils[233]. Plants are hardy to at least -20°c[187]. A very ornamental species[233]. The flowers have an unusual, slightly unpleasant smell[188] which is thought to repel insects[213]. Plants grow and flower well in Britain, though they seldom if ever ripen their seed[4]. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[54].
                                                                                   
Propagation                                          
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. Only just cover the seed. It germinates in 1 - 12 months or even longer at 15°c[164]. The seed does not store well and soon loses its viability[200], stored seed may germinate better if given 6 - 8 weeks warm stratification at 15°c and then 8 weeks cold stratification[164]. Prick out the young seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer[K]. Division in spring or autumn[1]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring.
Expert comment                                          
 
PFAF Expert .
Information on the CAMline website can include: Chemical Constituents, Uses, Adverse Effects, Drug Interactions, Cautions/Contraindications, Dose, Dosage Forms/Formulations, Product Quality Issues, Regulatory Status, and References Mar 2 2010 12:00AM
CAMline
PFAF Expert .
Mar 2 2010 12:00AM
CAMline is an evidence-based website on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for healthcare professionals and the public. It represents a successful collaboration of conventional and CAM organizations, interests and expertise.
       
Author                                          
(L.)Nutt.
                                                                                   
Botanical References                                          
43200270
                                                                                   
Links / References                                          

  [K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
[21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[28]Knight. F. P. Plants for Shade.
A small but informative booklet listing plants that can be grown in shady positions with a few cultivation details.
[31]Brown. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.
[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[54]Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds.
Interesting reading.
[57]Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.
[88]RHS. The Garden. Volume 112.
Snippets of information from the magazine of the RHS. In particular, there are articles on plants that are resistant to honey fungus, oriental vegetables, Cimicifuga spp, Passiflora species and Cucurbits.
[105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[111]Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials.
A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.
[164]Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4.
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
[165]Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[187]Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2.
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
[188]Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
[192]Emboden. W. Narcotic Plants
A lot of details about the history, chemistry and use of narcotic plants, including hallucinogens, stimulants, inebriants and hypnotics.
[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[211]Coventry. B. O. Wild Flowers of Kashmir
A nice little pocket guide to 50 wildflowers of Kashmir. This is part one of three, we have not seen the other two volumes
[213]Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food.
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[222]Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[232]Castro. M. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook.
A concise beginner's guide to the subject. Very readable.
[233]Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
[254]Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
[268]Stuart. M. (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism
Excellent herbal with good concise information on over 400 herbs.
[270] Flora of N. America
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.

Readers comment                                          
 
Elizabeth H.
Ruth Baker Mon Jun 29 2009
You are an excellent resource for the general public - would be even better if you could have more peer review articles for reference. Thanks Ruth Baker Herbal medicine student
Elizabeth H.
k. Sun Sep 6 2009
You have two opposing statements in the same paragraph. Please correct. "The root is toxic in overdose, it should be used with caution and be completely avoided by pregnant women[222]" "This is used mainly for women, especially during pregnancy[232]." This herb is commonly used toward the end of pregnancy or during labor. Please correct this information.
Rate This Plant                                          
Please rate this plants for how successful you have found it to be. You will need to be logged in to do this. Our intention is not to create a list of 'popular' plants but rather to highlight plants that may be rare and unusual and that have been found to be useful by website users. This hopefully will encourage more people to use plants that they possibly would not have considered before.
     
                                                                                   
Add a comment/link                                          

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at admin@pfaf.org. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

Subject : Cimicifuga racemosa  
               

Links To add a link to another website with useful info add the details here
Name of Site
URL of Site
Details

                                            
                                                                                   
Discussion Monitor                                          

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:
(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).

                                         

Your Address :