About
This perennial plant can reach heights of up to 1.5 meters. It produces elongated, branched racemes filled with small white flowers that rise prominently above its bright green, dissected foliage. After flowering, it forms dry brown follicles.
About the genus
Actaea consists of herbaceous perennials that grow from rhizomes. They feature compound leaves and produce small, creamy-white flowers arranged in compact, upright racemes that can be simple or branched. These flowers may later develop into toxic berries that can be red, black, or white, or into clusters of star-shaped brown follicles.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Poorly-drained
- Aspect
- West-facing, North-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial, Bogs
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Wildflower meadow, Cottage and informal garden
- Native to
- E North America
- Toxicity
- Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in cool, moist, moderately fertile soil, enriched with organic matter. Water thoroughly in dry weather.
- Pruning
- Cut back after flowering or fruiting
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in autumn or by division in early spring
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free