The plant is a racemose black cohosh (tsimitsifuga branched) known to mankind since ancient times. As the name implies, its insecticidal properties are used in our country, in England the species is included in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia as a valuable medicinal raw material, and its decorative and spectacular appearance is actively used in gardening. Moreover, black cohosh in 1993 became the winner of the British Award of Garden Merit, which is awarded to garden plants based on tests in gardens or special collections.
Black cohosh racemose: a botanical description
This species belongs to the genus Voronets from the family Ranunculaceae. This is a herbaceous perennial plant with a straight smooth stalk having a rectangular cross section and leaves of complex shape that appear directly from the fleshy rhizome. Black cohosh is impressive in size and reaches a height of 1.5 to 2.5 m during flowering.
The plant has two types of leaves: basal and petiolate. The first ones are wide and long, the second ones are twice or thrice triple dissected. The leaves have a rich dark green color with a glossy sheen, the order of their arrangement is next. In the midst of growth, the plant is characterized by a very spectacular appearance. A powerful bush is formed by up to 70 oval-shaped leaves with a plate length of up to 12 cm.
Cysticifuga racemose blooms from June to September. Brushes up to 1 m long develop at the top of the stem. The flowers are white, with an unpleasant bittersweet aroma, attracting mainly pollinated flies as pollinators, pubescent. Fruit - a leaflet (0.5-1 cm in length) with seeds in an amount of 8 to 10 pieces. It is stored on the plant in the winter and makes a characteristic sound when the wind blows. For this feature, the tsimitsifuga received one of its names in England - rattles weed (rattle weed).
Habitat
The natural habitat is humid deciduous forests of eastern North America. So, black cohosh is common from Massachusetts and Ontario to Missouri, from Wisconsin to Arkansas in the west, from Georgia to Alabama in the south. He prefers moist deciduous forests and edges, the banks of streams and rivers, ravines, bushes and tall grass. It develops well in soils rich in humus. The plant is widespread in this territory and is common in these places.
Use in decorative floriculture
The branching cimicifuge plant is a spectacular perennial introduced into the culture back in 1732. It is amazingly beautiful and original thanks to carved leaves gathered in a lush mop. The impression of the plant doubles during the flowering period, when powerful peduncles appear from the very center. Varieties with different shades of petals are bred. For example, Pink Spike (photo below). Black cohosh is a long-liver and can grow in one place for 15-20 years without a transplant. A great choice for a natural garden setting.
Black-headed black cohosh, the photo of which is presented in the article, will be equally good both in single landings, and in a group among the lawn, in mixborders. This is a plant of the upper tier, so it should be planted behind, in more shady corners, but still in sight. Despite the bitter smell, black cohosh is often used in cut to create autumn bouquets. He gives them grace and lightness, creates an openwork background thanks to the rich carved green foliage. Good neighbors for the plant will be aconites, astilbe, host ferns (especially thyroid and osmund), frankincense, as well as stunted conifers.
Site selection and soil
As mentioned above, a cimicifuga plant in its natural environment prefers well-moistened places with diffused light. This factor must be taken into account when choosing a site for its landing. Remember that black cohosh can not tolerate the transplant and takes a long time to recover, so it is better to initially choose a permanent place of residence for it. It is then that from year to year he will surprise you with his strength of growth and amazing beauty. Give preference to sunny areas, where after lunch there is partial shade, well protected from wind and drafts.
The soil for black cohosh racemose should be deeply cultivated, fertile and moderately moist. Avoid wetlands with stagnant moisture. When planting, add humus and drainage to the bottom of the pit in the form of expanded clay or brick chips.
Plant care
One of the main advantages of the species is that it is an unpretentious plant. Tsimitsifuga is resistant to adverse conditions, pests and diseases. Plant care consists mainly of mulching the earth around the bush - this is necessary to preserve moisture in the soil, and abundant watering in dry, hot weather. Under the canopy of powerful black cohosh leaves, weeds hardly develop. Pictured above is the Brunette variety.
Large flower stalks are quite strong, but the tallest of them are best tied so that they can resist strong winds and heavy rains. After the flowering period, they can be left until winter. Decorativeness practically does not suffer from this, flower stalks first become white-green, then the pods appear, eventually they become brown and resemble a rattle in the wind. In late autumn, when harvesting in the garden, you need to prune the plant. Tsimitsifuga winters well in our climate, so shelter, as a rule, is not required. Leaves are cut off at the very surface of the earth.
Plant propagation
Branched tsimitsifugu can be propagated in two ways: seed and vegetative. In the first case, some gardeners recommend sowing seeds immediately after their collection, that is, before winter.
However, the most popular is a different opinion. Freshly sown seeds of tsimitsifuga most often rot, while 100% germination is observed with a certain treatment. They must be stored in a dry place for six months, with the first three months at a temperature of +22 ° C, and the second half of the period at +4 ° C. Plants grown from seeds begin to bloom after 2-3 years.
Many buttercup plants, including black cohosh, reproduce well vegetatively.
This can be done by dividing the mother bush from the age of 5 years or older, or by grafting a kidney, a root shoot with a “heel”. Optimal dates are early spring.
Black cohosh (branched tsimitsifuga): traditional medicine
It is believed that the healing properties of the plant were known to some Native American tribes of North America long before the Europeans appeared on the continent. For the preparation of decoctions and tinctures, the roots of cimicifuga were used. Moreover, their use was not limited to a particular disease. According to written evidence of the 19th century, the Indians used alcohol tinctures or herbal teas as a sedative, diuretic, for female diseases, and lotions and compresses were done on the sites of snake bites, painful joints and backs. Along with some other plants, cimicifugu was included in tonic drinks.
Klopogon (photo above) attracted the attention of official medicine in the 18-19th century. In the period from 1820 to 1926, the plant was included in the list of the American Pharmacopoeia. The list of indications for use included lung diseases, neurotic disorders, rheumatism, leg swelling, gynecological diseases, including infertility. The plant is particularly popular in herbal medicine.
Opinion of official medicine
Black cohosh is currently used mainly in the production of biologically active food additives, which are recommended for use by women. In 2013, German scientists conducted a comprehensive analysis of clinical trials of various dietary supplements. Results are available for study in journals and medical databases. All drugs showed high tolerance in the presence of a minimum of side effects.
British scientists, however, have warned that branched tsimitsifuga can be dangerous with prolonged use. The use of plant extracts can cause a thickening of the uterine mucosa, and this is a risk factor for cancer. Repeatedly reported toxic effects of black cohosh on the liver, but this has not been clinically confirmed.