About
Actaea simplex 'Prichard's Giant' is a robust, clump-forming perennial that can reach heights of up to 2.1 meters. It features sizable mounds of serrated green foliage and elongated, slender stems that bear racemes of fragrant white flowers resembling bottlebrushes, which can extend 30 centimeters or more in length. This plant typically blooms in early autumn.
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, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, East-facing, North-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Architectural, Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
- Fragrance
- Flower
- Toxicity
- Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in cool, moist, humus-rich, preferably neutral or slightly acidic soil in partial shade, for example in a woodland garden or shaded herbaceous or mixed bed
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by division in early spring
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free