Cimicifuga simplex

(DC.) Wormsk. ex Turcz.

Saiashina-shoma

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Summary

A perennial reaching 1.5 m tall by 0.6 m wide. Hardy to UK zone 5. Flowers in October with seed ripening October to November. Hermaphroditic flowers pollinated by bees, moths, and butterflies. Noted for attracting wildlife. Grows in light, medium, or heavy soils with good drainage. Tolerates semi-shade in light woodland and prefers moist soil. Adapts to mildly acidic through basic soil pH.

Description

A perennial herb. It grows 90-120 cm high and 50-60 cm wide. The flowers are narrow and white.

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Edible Uses

Leaves can be eaten cooked, though some caution is advised given the plant's noted toxicity. The fragrant root is used as a spice.

Traditional Uses

CAUTION: The leaves are boiled and eaten. The fragrant root is used as a spice.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It is frost hardy. In China it grows on the edges of forests and on grassy slopes between 300-3,200 m above sea level. In Sichuan.

Where It Grows

Asia, China, Japan, Dahurica, Korea, Mongolia, Russia, Siberia, Taiwan,

Propagation

Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, barely covered. Germination occurs in 1–12 months or longer at 15°C. Seed does not store well and quickly loses viability; stored seed may germinate better after 6–8 weeks of warm stratification at 15°C followed by 8 weeks of cold stratification. Prick out seedlings into individual pots when large enough and grow on in a frame through their first winter, then plant out in late spring or early summer. Divide in spring or autumn — larger clumps can go directly into permanent positions, while smaller clumps are best potted up and grown on in a cold frame until rooting well, then planted out in summer or the following spring.

Other Uses

None known.

Notes

There are about 18 Cimicifuga species.

Synonyms

Check Actaea

References (5)

Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 15(1):87. 1842 (A. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 1:64. 1824, pro syn.)
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 189
Joyce, D., 1998, The Garden Plant Selector. Ryland, Peters and Small. p 217
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Tanaka,