About
Actaea spicata is a herbaceous perennial that forms dense clumps, featuring divided leaves that can reach lengths of up to 60 cm. During the period from mid-spring to early summer, this plant produces oval clusters of soft white flowers, which are succeeded by small black berries approximately 1 cm in diameter.
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
- Full shade, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- West-facing, North-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
- Native to
- Europe to W Asia
- 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, and full shade, even under conifers if watered in very 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