Bugbane, Black Bugbane, Black Snakeroot, Black Cohosh, Squaw Root, Actaea racemosa L. var. racemosa[Old = Cimicifuga racemosa], Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

(Black Snakeroot, Black Cohosh, Squaw Root). A quick glance from a distance could cause you to mistake this plant for Culver's Root. However, everything is different. The leaves are well to the bottom of the tall stems and are divided into toothed leaflets. The small white flowers that appear in racemes appear fuzzy from a distance as the sepals disappear early and the petals are very small giving the flowers the appearance of nothing but stamens. The plant prefers shade and is found in the Woodland Garden. The flowers have an unpleasant scent. Its scientific genus name of Cimicifuga is from cimex for "bug" and fugere meaning "to drive away". This yields the common name of Bugbane. The species name racemosa, refers to the flower cluster or raceme. USDA now lists the plant as Actaea racemosa L. var. racemosa. For lore and uses, click the info button below.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Black Bugbane	Actaea racemosa L. var. racemosa[Old = Cimicifuga racemosa]	Buttercup (RANUNCULACEAE)	Woodland	Early Summer to Late Summer
Other names and notes	(Black Snakeroot, Black Cohosh, Squaw Root). A quick glance from a distance could cause you to mistake this plant for Culver's Root. However, everything is different. The leaves are well to the bottom of the tall stems and are divided into toothed leaflets. The small white flowers that appear in racemes appear fuzzy from a distance as the sepals disappear early and the petals are very small giving the flowers the appearance of nothing but stamens. The plant prefers shade and is found in the Woodland Garden. The flowers have an unpleasant scent. Its scientific genus name of Cimicifuga is from cimex for "bug" and fugere meaning "to drive away". This yields the common name of Bugbane. The species name racemosa, refers to the flower cluster or raceme. USDA now lists the plant as Actaea racemosa L. var. racemosa. For lore and uses, click the info button below.