Actaea (Black Snakeroot)
at Digging Dog

Including Actaea (Cimicifuga) simplex & Actaea (Cimicifuga) racemosa

Actaea

Black Snakeroot

A botanical ‘Renaissance Man’, Actaea is at home in an informal garden, a refined border or in an arrangement for opening night at the Met. Their sweet fragrance floats through the air as they illuminate their surroundings. Actaea is happiest in moist, humus-enriched soil and bright shade; otherwise it’s carefree and low maintenance.

This genus was formerly known as “Cimicifuga”

Actaea racemosa   

Long wandlike, creamy white flower racemes seem to dangle and dance on invisible stems above clumps of Astilbe-like foliage. Try this Actaea (Cimicifuga) in a naturalized setting, under a tall canopy at the back of the border, next to leafy Ligularia.

Blooms July–August.

Size: 5'–6' high x 2'–3' wide; hardy to zone 4.

Actaea racemosa (p-0048)
Each $7.00
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Actaea simplex ‘Atropurpurea’   

Grown from seedlings carefully selected for dark, coppery purple foliage, the regal profile of ‘Atropurpurea’ shows its good breeding. A garden dweller with a staid bearing, its stately reddish purple stems soar above your head, displaying dense spires covered with round mahogany-hued buds and sweet starbursts of white.

Echo this Actaea’s somber tones by bringing it together with Angelica gigas, and let the lime green foliage of Physocarpus ‘Dart’s Gold’ brighten the mood.

Blooms August–September.

Size: 6' high x 2'–3' wide; hardy to zone 4.

Actaea simplex Atropurpurea (P-0049)
Each $9.00
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Actaea simplex ‘Brunette’   

Noted around town for her purple-black leaves and stems, this ‘Brunette’ is sure to turn some heads with the gentle way of her graceful, ferny foliage. At the back of the border, amidst the chaos of more summery greens, this dark lady’s shadow lingers long before offering up arching racemes of fragrant, slightly blushed white flowers. One of the most sought-after cultivars, ‘Brunette’ is another incredibly lovely dark foliage selection of Actaea (Cimicifuga) simplex.

Blooms August–September.

Size: 5'–6' high x 2'–3' wide; hardy to zone 4.

Actaea simplex Brunette (P-0811)
Each $12.00
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Actaea simplex ‘Pink Spike’   

Midnight dark, lean lofty stems culminate in honey-scented, long pale pink spires stretching skyward above a refined, Ariel-like mass of sumptuous, chocolaty purple serrated foliage. This splendid garden aristocrat casts a decidedly feminine aspect on Geranium maculatum ‘Espresso’s coffee-colored leaves.

Zone 3/4.

Blooms August–October.

Size: 5' high x 2'–2-1/2' wide; hardy to zone 4.

AVAILABLE LATE MARCH 2008

Actaea simplex Pink Spike (P-1427)
Each $11.50
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Actaea simplex var. matsumurae ‘White Pearl’   

Surprisingly underused, ‘White Pearl’s bright white, bottlebrushlike blossoms and large pearly buds will light up a somber setting just like the animated glow of a 4th of July sparkler. The good-sized ambrosial flowers unfurl later than most other Actaeas, while their densely set stalks are more arching than racemosa’s.

Tolerating drier, less rich soils, deceptively tough wiry stems and finely cut, toothed foliage compose the medium green nimble-looking stand which slowly spreads.

Blooms September–October.

Size: 4' high x 2-1/2' wide; hardy to zone 4.

Actaea simplex var. matsumurae White Pearl (p-1371)
Each $7.50
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