Japanese cimicifuga

Family Ranunculaceae. Native range - Japan.

Plant a perennial herbaceous plant 150-200 cm tall. Leaves matte dark green. Flowers small, whitish-cream or silvery-white, gathered in lacy, long, narrow, racemose inflorescences. Blooms in July-August. Fruits. In cultivation since 1831.

Location: sunny, sheltered from wind, tolerate partial shade.

Soil: prefer deeply cultivated, fertile, moderately moist soil

Care: although the thin flower stalks of the bugbane are admirably sturdy, they do not always withstand strong wind or heavy rain, so it is better to provide support, especially for tall specimens. To keep the clumps looking fresh all season, the soil beneath them is mulched to retain moisture, and in dry weather they are watered generously. Weeds under the shade of the bugbane's large leaves survive poorly and do not cause particular trouble. Diseases and pests do not especially bother the plant. Withered inflorescences are cut off unless one wishes to admire first the greenish-white and later the brown pods, which in warmer countries are often left on through the winter. During autumn garden cleanup the stems are cut back at ground level. The bugbane does not tolerate transplanting well, but if left undisturbed it will reward you with robust beauty that increases year by year.

Propagation: by division of the clump every 5-6 years, by green cuttings and seeds. Bugbane can be divided after 5-6 years. It is also propagated by bud cuttings and by basal shoots with a "heel" in spring. Many sources, including English ones, recommend sowing seeds immediately after they are collected.