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Black Cohosh

Actaea racemosa

Found in rich cove forests, other moist and moderately to very fertile forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

17
Modest

Native to Mississippi. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
4–7 feet
Spread
2–4 feet
Light
Dappled sunlight, Deep shade, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 3 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 11 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
May to August
Fruiting season
Summer

Recorded in 1 Mississippi county.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

0CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS
3BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Actaea

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Actaea

  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Ranunculaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
White
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Summer
Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Actaea racemosa var. racemosa; Black Snakeroot; Cimicifuga racemosa

Conservation status

Mississippi rankS1S2
Global rankG3G4 [G5]
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources