Bugbane

Bugbane: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Clump-forming, with a mound of leaves 60–90 cm high and flower stems up to 1.5 m; about 60 cm wide.

Leaves

Large, two or three times divided into threes, with toothed leaflets; green or, in some cultivars, dark purple-brown.

Flower

Narrow, slightly nodding spikes up to 30 cm long, packed with small flowers with conspicuous white stamens.

Scent

Sweet and slightly honeyed; best noticed on a still autumn day.

Fruit

Small, dry pods that stay on the stems into winter.

Roots

A sturdy, slow-growing rootstock; it dislikes being moved.

Flowering: September–October · Plants: March–April and October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• One of the last flowers of the year: scented white spires in September and October.
• Bees, bumblebees and butterflies still find nectar and pollen on it in autumn.
• Brings light and height to a shady border, where few tall plants flower so late.
• The finely cut foliage looks good all summer; in the dark-leaved cultivars it is a feature in its own right.
• Long-lived and fully hardy: once established it can stay in the same spot for years.

Bugbane: where does it grow best?

• Partial or light shade, for example under tall trees or on the east side of the house. In full sun the leaves scorch.
• Humus-rich loam or clay, acid to neutral, with plenty of organic matter.
• The soil must stay cool and always moist; it copes with temporarily wet soil better than with drought.
• A sheltered spot stops the tall flower stems snapping in autumn gales.
• Plant 50–60 cm apart, ideally close to a path or patio so you can enjoy the scent.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Loam or clay

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

1.5 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Japanese anemone: Flowers at the same time, in pink or white, in a similar spot.
• Monkshood: Deep blue autumn flowers next to the white spires.
• Hosta: Large leaves at the base, in the same cool, moist soil.
• Ferns: Fine green underplanting in the shade.
• Japanese forest grass: A soft, cascading edge at the front, with good autumn colour.

Bugbane: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October.

1. Plant in March–April or in October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a generous hole and mix in plenty of leaf mould or well-rotted manure.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot, with the crown at soil level.
4. Allow 50–60 cm between plants; it looks best in a group of three.
5. Firm the soil and water in well straight away.
6. Spread a thick layer of leaf mould or mulch around the plant to keep the soil cool and moist.

Care

Water

Water generously every week in dry spells, even after the first year. Dry soil means brown leaf edges and fewer flowers.

Feeding

A layer of compost or a little organic fertiliser every spring; it needs nothing more.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould or wood chips in spring keeps the roots cool.

Support

In a sheltered spot the stems usually stand on their own. In a windy spot, put in a few canes or a ring before flowering.

Patience

It is slow to establish and often only flowers fully after 2–3 years, so avoid moving it.

Tip: Plant it close to a path or patio: on a calm autumn day you can smell the spires from a distance. For dark-leaved cultivars, a little morning sun gives the best leaf colour.

Bugbane: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: Hardly any pruning is needed. Cut the dead stems down in March, before the new shoots appear.

How:

• Leave the spent stems and seed pods over winter: they look lovely with frost on them and shelter insects.
• In March, cut all old stems and dead leaves back to just above the ground.
• Take care with the young shoots that emerge in April: they are brittle.

Caution: Clear up the prunings and wear gloves if you have sensitive skin: all parts are poisonous if eaten.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April, as the first shoots appear: lift the clump and cut it with a sharp spade into pieces, each with a few buds and roots. Replant at once and keep moist; the plant needs a year to recover.

Seed

Sow fresh seed in a pot outdoors in autumn and leave it out over winter. Germination is slow and erratic, and cultivars do not come true from seed.

Bugbane: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The foliage dies down in autumn; the plant overwinters below ground and shoots again in April.
• An early frost can spoil the last flowers, but the plant itself does not suffer.
• In a large pot: keep it sheltered in the shade and make sure the compost neither dries out nor sits in water.

Diseases and pests

• Brown leaf edges: A sign of drought or too much sun. Water generously and mulch, or move it in spring to a cooler spot.
• Slugs: They eat the young shoots in April–May. Pick them off in the evening or protect the shoots with a slug collar.
• Few flowers: Often a young plant, dry soil or shade that is too deep. Give it time, water and compost.
• Flopping stems: In a windy spot or in deep shade the spires bend over. Support them in time or choose a more sheltered, slightly lighter spot.
• Green leaves on dark cultivars: In deep shade the purple foliage turns greener. Give it a little more light, ideally morning sun.

Through the year

• March: Cut down old stems. Divide and plant.
• April: Plant. Add compost and mulch. Watch for slugs on the young shoots.
• May: Water in dry weather.
• June: The leafy clump fills out. Water in dry weather.
• July: The flower stems grow. Water generously in dry weather.
• August: Add support in a windy spot. Water in dry weather.
• September: Flowering: scented white spires full of bees and butterflies.
• October: Flowering. Plant.
• November: Leave the spent stems standing.
• December: Rest. The seed pods decorate the garden.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of bugbane are poisonous if swallowed: they cause vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea. A related species, black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), is sold as a food supplement for menopausal symptoms, but that is no reason to use the root or leaves of your garden plant yourself: do not make teas or preparations from it. Its native relative, baneberry (Actaea spicata), bears glossy black berries that are highly poisonous; bugbane itself forms dry seed pods. Do not plant it where young children play or where cats and dogs chew plants, clear up trimmings and seed pods, and wash your hands after working with it. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Butterflies

Nectar for butterflies.

Did you know?

• The old name Cimicifuga means ‘bug repeller’: related species were once used to drive away bedbugs, hence the English name ‘bugbane’.
• Following research into its relationships, botanists have placed it in the genus Actaea since the end of the last century, alongside the European baneberry.
• It is one of the latest perennials to flower: in cool years the spires sometimes only open in October.