Cimicifuga, Black Bugbane, Fairy Candles

Here is a link to a perennial I would like to remember from our 28 year old home.  This perennial was originally planted about 25 years ago in the front flower bed and never really thrived there.  I planted it there as there was a big spruce tree shading the flower bed and the Bugbane is known as a shade plant.  When we redid the front bed as a full sun prairiescape garden I moved the Bugbane to a garden tucked beside the house with a northeast exposure.  Since then it has thrived and this year, by mid July, is already showing signs of flowering.  The foliage on this plant is healthy and a vibrant purple black colour.  Not knowing whether I could split the plant and have it thrive I dug beside the plant and carefully uprooted one single rooted plant.  I planted this "upstart" plant in Amy's shade garden out at the cabin.

New Start at Sylvan Lake

Foliage of the original plant

Look carefully and you can see the flower starting

Update October 8, 2023 (Thanksgiving Sunday)

The tiny volunteer shoot from the original plant, transplanted in 2015 to the cabin and then to the Lakehouse in 2016 is now in fall of 2023 a thriving  Black Bugbane with showy blooms.  Next year I will take a photo a little earlier in the fall before the frost and when the background is more worthy of it's stateliness.  Yesterday Papa took down the sundeck railings and some of the decking in preparation for our new deck.   We have had frost for a couple of weeks now but this morning was the first sign of damage to the Bugbane.

A few more interesting facts about the Bugbane:

The Cimicifuga has many common names.  

Snakeroot because of the sinuous nature of the roots.  

Bugbane because it was used to chase away bugs.  Its scientific name, Cimicifuga says the same in Latin.  

Cohosh is an Algonquian name meaning rough referring to the root that is not black, but dark brown.  

Fairy Candles because the tall raceme has the appearance of white tapers.