CIMICIFUGA (Cimicifu'ga)

DESCRIPTION: Cimicifuga, Bugbane, is a group of hardy perennials that grow wild in North America, China, Japan, Kamchatka, and Mongolia. C. simplex, also called Ramchatka, grows 4 to 5 feet high with a spread of 2 feet. Its green leaves are divided into narrow oval, toothed and irregularly lobed leaflets. In the autumn, long, thin, arching spikes of tiny, star-shaped, white flowers are produced. They have a slightly unpleasant scent. Cimicifuga, is taken from cimex, a bug, and fugo, to flee away from, in reference to the insecticidal properties the plants were thought to have possessed.

POTTING: Bugbanes can be grown in moist, fertile soil in shade or partial shade. If the soil is too heavy, add compost and sand and place loamy soil around the roots. They will need to be staked for support.

PROPAGATION: They can be increased by sowing fresh seeds or dividing them in the spring.

VARIETIES: C. americana; C. simplex; C. davurica; C. foetida; C. japonica; C. racemosa (Snakeroot).

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