vandaliatraveler:Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), also known as bugbane, fairy candles, and black sna
vandaliatraveler:Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), also known as bugbane, fairy candles, and black snakeroot, has long been used as a medicinal herb by Native Americans and traditional medicine practitioners to treat a wide range of women’s health problems (from menstrual cramps to menopause), induce labor, and repel insects. Extracts of the plant are sold to this day as herbal remedies and dietary supplements. Because truth and folklore are often hard to untangle, it’s always advisable to read the scientific literature prior to assuming the health benefits of any medicinal herb. Irrespective of its storied history as a healing herb, black cohosh is one of the most beautiful and striking of Appalachia’s summer-blooming perennials; its long spikes of white flowers, which rise high above its mounding foliage, are easy to spot against the monochromatic green background of the rich, sun-dappled woods where it grows. In addition, the plant’s multi-tiered, shrub-like habit makes it an ideal ornamental for shade gardens. The photos above were taken along the Mon River Trail. -- source link
#black cohosh#actaea racemosa#native plants