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Black Baneberry (Actaea racemosa L.)

Also known as black cohosh, black snakeroot, common black-cohosh, early black-cohosh; also classified as Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt.

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Summary
Range
Description
Similar Plants
Uses
Relatives
Links
Photos

Photo © sblumen, CC BY 4.0.

↑Summary

A large herbaceous woodland plant.

↑Range - Expand

Legend	Color
Native or Expanded
Native
Native or Not Present
Native or Expanded or Not Present

This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.

Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.

This plant has established north of its native range, likely from garden escapes. We mark these new populations as Expanded rather than Introduced because of the proximity to the native range, with some of the new populations almost immediately adjacent and others separated only by a few counties. This species is also native to Canada but we have yet to build this portion of its map.

↑Description & Identification

Black baneberry occurs in deciduous forests on base-rich soils, often on rocky soils and sloped terrain. Natural habitats include moist deciduous forests, moist mixed deciduous-coniferous forest, ravines, forested creek margins, and partly-forested meadows and thickets, especially in mountains and around rock outcroppings.

Black baneberry is usually found on mesic sites in soils of moderate to high fertility that support rich forest growth, but it often occurs on small sites where local features, such as rock outcroppings and/or water, lead to small gaps or a slightly open canopy. It is usually found on soils formed from calcareous rock or chert, and the soils are usually well-developed and rich in organic matter, but there are often larger, intact rocks mixed in.

Humans have threatened this species by aggressively collecting it from the wild for medicinal use. Its numbers have been reduced in many areas where there is suitable habitat for it and it was once abundant. However, in spite of such collection, it is still common in much of its range.

↑Similar Plants

White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda)
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↑Uses

Cultivated in shaded gardens, where it is valued for its distinctive foliage and large flower spikes.

Has historically been used as a medicinal plant as well.

White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) occurs in much of this plant's range, and is often found in similar habitats as well.

Numerous other Actaea species also occur in North America; all are native except the European Actaea spicata which has become established in northern New Jersey.