About

This herbaceous perennial forms dense clumps and features slender, branching racemes of fragrant, pale pink, bottlebrush-like flowers. These blooms give way to black berries, all supported by purple-bronze stems that can reach heights of 1.5 meters. The plant is topped with finely dissected, dark bronze leaves.

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

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