According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, black cohosh has been found useful for symptoms of menopause and relieving menstrual cramps. It also may be useful for reducing inflammation caused by all types of arthritis. Other names include black snakeroot, bugwort, bugbane, rattleweed and squaw root. Native American women were the first to use it for women's issues, but they also used it for snakebites. During the 19th century, it was used for fevers, sore throat and bronchitis. It readily grows when the right conditions are provided and may need to be contained as it spread quickly.
Description
Mature plants grow 4 feet or more and have large, three-sectioned, toothed leaves. Plumes of white to cream-colored flowers appear more than 6 feet tall in May to July. Seed pods develop on the plumes in August to October. The plant spreads by multiplying rhizomes underground. These clumps of fibrous roots that resemble an elongated bulb are the part of the plant that is used in many different medicinal preparations.
Growing Requirements
Black cohosh requires a partially shady, moist environment to thrive. Naturally, it is found in woods growing along with trillium and mayapples. It requires rich, fertile soil that is on the acidic side, with high quantities of organic mater. It does tolerate full sun with adequate moisture. Some farmers grow it in raised beds under an artificial shade in areas where clay soils or wet environments prevail.
Planting
Seeds can be started indoors or out, but it takes several years to obtain a harvest. Seeds need a cold period, or must be stratified for a long period before planting. A better harvest is realized when rhizomes are planted. Cut rhizomes into 2- or 3-inch sections each with at least one bud intact. Plant the sections in the ground about 3 to 5 inches deep with the bud pointing upward 18 inches apart. After planting, apply a 3-inch layer of bark or leaf mulch.
Care
Keep plants well watered and weed free. They will spread up to 22 inches per month, so give them a great deal of room. Save seeds if desired by picking pods in October when they start to rattle. Place them in the refrigerator or other area at 40 degrees F or less for three months. Plant indoors anytime or outdoors when the weather warms. It takes about six years to get a good-sized rhizome to harvest from seed.
Harvest
Harvest rhizomes after three years in the fall when they are plump and at their best. Dig them up with a garden fork, shake dirt off and remove any roots that do not belong to the plant. Never wash, because the rhizome will become moldy. The rhizome must not dry out before it is processed, so either replant immediately or store in mesh bags or burlap filled with sphagnum moss in an area that stays 40 degrees F. Rhizomes are processed by washing completely and drying at 80 to 95 degrees F for up to a week.
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