James Compton Black Snakeroot

Other Names: Black Snakeroot, Black Cohosh, Actaea racemosa

Description:

Beautiful leaves are deep dark green tinged with purple; bold spikes of white flowers add interesting texture and architectural element to the landscape

Ornamental Features:

James Compton Black Snakeroot features bold spikes of fragrant white flowers rising above the foliage from late summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It's attractive serrated compound leaves emerge burgundy in spring, turning dark green in colour with prominent deep purple tips throughout the season. The brown fruits are carried on spikes from late summer right through to late winter.

Landscape Attributes:

James Compton Black Snakeroot is an herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other garden plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance perennial, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It has no significant negative characteristics.

James Compton Black Snakeroot is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Mass Planting
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Plant Characteristics:

James Compton Black Snakeroot will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 3 feet. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 feet from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This perennial performs well in both full sun and full shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This plant can be propagated by division.

This is a selection of a native North American species.