About
Actaea simplex (Atropurpurea Group) 'Carbonella' is a robust perennial that forms dense clumps. It features elongated, branching spikes adorned with fragrant white flowers that resemble bottle brushes, which emerge with a hint of purple in their buds. After flowering, it produces black berries. The plant can reach heights of up to 1.5 meters and is supported by dark purple-bronze stems, rising above a backdrop of similarly colored foliage.
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
- Aspect
- East-facing, North-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
- Fragrance
- Flower
- Toxicity
- Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Best grown in cool, moist, reasonably fertile soil in partial shade but will tolerate most soils if enriched with organic matter. May need staking
- 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