Attractive appearance of a garden or personal plot is a natural desire of any owner of his own land. Breeders offer many types of flowers, from small forget-me-nots to tall lupins. Cimicifuga is a plant that can become a decoration of the landscape. A variety of varieties will help you choose the most attractive option for the site.
Description
As soon as this flower was not called: simple cimicifuga, black cohosh, wolf berries, common raven, crow berries, stink. In Russia in the old days, to remove bedbugs, it was used as an insecticide. The most accurate name was invented by the Germans Silberkerzen - silver candles. It captures the essence of his beauty.
The first description refers to 1705. It was held by the royal professor Leonard Pluknet, who combined the position of a gardener at the royal court during the time of Queen Mary II. The cimicifuga plant (photo in the text) belongs to the genus Voronets, the buttercup family. 15 species are known, 10 of them are actively used in cultural gardening.
Flower characteristics:
- Perennial. In one place can live up to 20 years.
- Stems. Erect, smooth, large, grow up to 2 meters (some species - up to 3), to the base of the inflorescences - bare, in cross section - rectangular.
- Root. Well developed, thick, powerful, many-headed, with numerous roots. In dried form, it is used as a medicinal raw material.
- Leaves. Large, wide, basal, compound - usually trifoliate, with pinnately compound lobes. Leaf plate up to 12 cm, oval with two or three deep serrated protrusions. Very openwork, with a glossy sheen, dark green or green color. The arrangement is alternate, up to 70 leaves grow on one plant.
- Inflorescence. A narrow serpentine brush in some species reaches 60 cm. It develops in late spring - early summer at the top of the stem (from 3 to 10 inflorescences).
- Flowers. It begins to bloom in June, some species - in September-October. A cool summer can slow down the process, but cimicifuga is a plant that, even when not flowering, attracts attention with its decorative leaves. The flowers are white, small, equipped with numerous stamens, their length is 3 mm. When blooming, the petals of the pericarp fall off.
- Fruit. Dry leaflet, in which 8-10 oblong-shaped seeds are placed in two rows. The fruit itself is up to 10 mm long.
Cultivars
Ten varieties of plants are used for cultural horticulture. Most common:
- Atropurpurea. It hasstrong branching of peduncles, dissected leaves are first red-brown, then turn green, snow-white flowers.
- Brownland. The highlight of the variety is dark brown leaves.
- White Pearl. The leaves are twice dissected, light green, peduncles with lush snow-white inflorescences, strongly curved.
- Cimicifuga americana. Planted since 1822, height up to 150 cm, leaves are dark green, matte. Inflorescences are long, narrow, racemose, cylindrical. The flowers are small, silver, cream and white.
- Frau Herms (Hansa Herms). Dwarf variety, up to 40 cm high, snow-white flowers.
- Brunette. It has stems of the original purple color, up to 2 meters high. The same shade is present in the color of the leaves and flowers. The inflorescences are compact, only 20 cm long.
- Pink Spike. This is a relatively new variety, distinguished by beet-colored leaves, white flowers of the same shade, look like pinkish white.
- Elstead. The stems are brown-purple, have an onion-like bend. Blooms late, with white flowers.
- Hillside Black Beauty. Leaves with a pronounced brown tint. Feature - absolutely vertical peduncles, white flowers.
Wildlife
In nature, it grows in the Far East and the Japanese Islands, in Western Siberia, Transbaikalia, Northern China, Eastern regions of the USA, Mongolia. Grows in acidic soils rich in organic matter. Grass and fallen leaves serve as both fertilizer and protection against drying out of the earth.
Commonrepresentatives of wild types of cimicifuga:
- Daurian. Prefers light forests and edges of the Far East and Transbaikalia. It has a thick multi-headed rhizome. The stems grow up to 1 meter, the leaves are trifoliate, large. It blooms in July-August, the inflorescence is a brush (simple or complex).
- Racemes. It grows in eastern North America. A large plant, the stems reach 2 meters in height, the bush grows up to 60 cm. Large jagged foliage along the edge, snow-white flowers with a delicate honey aroma. Blooms in July.
- Simple. It can be found in forest glades, in mountain thickets. Stems grow in several from rhizomes, reaching a meter height. Blooms in August if the summer is warm. Stem foliage - on long petioles. Feature - drooping inflorescences and very beautiful "carved" leaves.
- Cowweed. Habitat halo - mixed forests of the Far East. A large plant, often exceeding two meters in height. Blooms in early September.
Growing
Cimicifuga is an unpretentious and hardy plant. A landing site is chosen protected from the wind. Black cohosh loves the sun, but calmly tolerates partial shade. Determining the "place of residence", take into account the future size of the flower. In diameter, it grows up to 60 cm, in height - up to two. The soil prefers slightly acidic or neutral, light and always moist.
Cimicifuga is a long-lived plant that grows up to a quarter of a century in one place. Reproduction is easiest to carry out by dividing the bush. Thisthe procedure is repeated once every 4-5 years. Early spring or late August is the best time for this.
Care
Proper care will ensure a long life for the flower. Cimicifuga is a plant (planting and care will not take much time) that deserves the attention of a gardener. It will look equally great both in compositions and in a single landing. Main works:
- mulch the soil under the flower;
- plentifully watered in hot weather;
- fed with organic fertilizers;
- on an open windy place they build props for flower stalks;
- cut dry inflorescences;
- cut the stems in autumn.
Repotting is not recommended. Weeds do not survive next to a powerful bush, diseases and pests do not bother. Winter hardiness is good, but decorative varieties and high rhizomes for the winter are better to cover with fallen leaves.
Healing properties
Cimicifuga is a plant that has also been used in medicine. Chinese medicine highly appreciates the qualities of the flower, the North American Indians have long used it to treat many diseases. Today doctors recommend it for:
- compromised immunity;
- edema and tumors;
- diabetes;
- atherosclerosis;
- cataract;
- gynecological diseases.
It prevents the development of osteoporosis and arthritis. It can significantly improve the condition of a patient with diseases of the cardiovascular system. This effect is achieved due to the presence offlower of the following components:
- saponins;
- flavonoids;
- tannins;
- sterols;
- tars;
- alkaloids;
- phenolcarboxylic acids.
In oriental medicine, a decoction of black cohosh is popular. It helps with toothache and skin rashes.
Garden design
Many people like the black cohosh plant. Cimicifuga (photos of a single planting are available in the text) is confidently reclaiming its right to be considered one of the most attractive tall crops for use in landscape design. In 1993 he was awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society.
According to the advice of experts, it is worth following some rules when planting a flower:
- for single landings, the best option is two-meter giants;
- undersized varieties are suitable for decorating borders (there are species that do not exceed 40 cm);
- harmonize well with water bodies;
- be sure to take into account the size of the bush;
- will serve as a natural decoration for a wall or fence;
- neighbors with bright red or purple flowers will look great against the background of white inflorescences.
Plants create an openwork background, calmly endure the neighborhood with undersized coniferous trees, tolerate shade. With the right selection, the black cohosh plant (cimicifuga) will help create unique landscapes and transform the garden plot beyond recognition.
Florists also love this flower and definitelyinclude it in autumn bouquets. Air inflorescences give them lightness, elegance, exquisite delicacy.
Features
The flower has a number of features that distinguish it from other "inhabitants" of the garden:
- does not require special care, resistant to pests and diseases;
- its stems should be well ventilated;
- becomes more powerful with age and pleases with abundant flowering;
- height depends on variety;
- flowering lasts about a month;
- can be propagated by cuttings, seeds or division (every 4-5 years);
- at the slightest damage "spoils" the air with an unpleasant odor;
- needs protection from the wind, sometimes tying or supporting stems (especially in strong, gusty winds);
- does not throw out inflorescences in bad weather.
Despite its discordant name, black cohosh will be an adornment of any landscape for many years.
