Because the berries of my Caulophyllum thalictroides won a Bronze Medal in the Garden Olympics, I decided to reward it with a post of its own. I love this plant, whose common name is Blue Cohosh; it grew wild around the house where I grew up. I didn't know its name, only the dark blue berries it developed every summer. When I started planting the Woodland Garden here at Squirrelhaven, this was one of the first things planted. Because this plant is so uncommon and little known, I was fortunate that the local native plant nursery carried it. (It's known mostly through alternative medicine, but that's like knowing Coneflowers only as a cold remedy.) It's in the Barberry family, but I see no relationship there whatsoever. Blue Cohosh grows in moist woods from Canada to Georgia, from the East Coast to Nebraska and Oklahoma, Zones 3-8 (sorry Texas!). With a range like that, you'd think Blue Cohosh would be better known.
It starts sprouting very early in spring, about the time when the Snowcrocuses and the Witchazel bloom. This year that was in the middle of March. When it first emerges in spring, it looks like this:
It blooms with the Anemonellas, Sanguinaria and Hepatica, with weird flowers:
I've seen images on the Web of Blue Cohosh with yellowish green flowers instead. Here's what the plant looks like in bloom.
It blooms for about a month, but clearly it is not grown for its flowers.
As the leaves the leaves expand, they become bluegreen, and the berries begin to form. By July, the plant looks like this:
It is a graceful foliage plant that sets off finer textured plants, such as ferns, nicely, while providing a good contrast to more coarse textured plants, such as Wild Ginger (Asarum canadensis). But it's main season of interest is late summer and into fall, when its berries turn that intense blue.
It's not a flashy plant, but it is a wonderful supporting player in a woodland or shade garden.
*Statement of the author's opinion only and is not meant to be a statement of fact. Not available in all areas. Your results may vary. Do not ingest any part of this plant without doctor's supervision. Not recommended for those with sunny or dry conditions.