Actaea (Cimicifuga ramosa / snake root)

16 years ago

Hi,

Has anyone here successfully grown this from seed and care to share/explain what their method was? (i.e. how long it actually took etc.)I ordered some seed of this plant which I really like and afterward found out that it can be tricky to get started and requires long periods of the cold, warm, cold cycle to get going - I mainly wintersow so if anyone has started this plant in this manner I would love to hear how long it took to get seedlings - I think I am too late to do anything now especially with the mild winter we have been having here. Thanks!

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Comments (5)

theresa2
16 years ago
Prairie Moon sells Cimicifuga ramosa. I have provided a link to their website. The link will give you specifics on germination requirements. Basically what you need to do is 3 months of warm-moist treatment, followed by three months of cold-moist treatment. After which, you can plant in pots or in the ground come spring. Or you can sow the seed outside in fall without pretreatment, but it will take a year or more for the seed to germinate if you go this route. I have not grown Cimicifuga ramosa myself, but I have grown other plants that require this sort of treatment. I used damp sand in a baggie placed on top of the refrigerator--where it is warm--for moist treatment. Then transferred the baggie to the refrigerator (not freezer) for cold treatment. Wintersowing may delay germination because the seed is not warm-moist treated first.

Here is a link that might be useful: Prairie Moon Nursery
Lynda Waldrep
16 years ago
I grew this in winter sowing several years ago, when we had alternating warm and cold periods, not like this year when it has been mostly COLD!

This year I tried a warm period in the house in a sunny location, and now outside, as I am sure we will have more cold before April. However, I know from some of the other natives that seeds usually germinate if I can leave the containers outside for another season. I am never in a rush and don't toss the soil since I have had some things take even longer than two seasons!! Good luck!
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Even by tissue culture, propagation is a slow process; hence the higher prices. BUT you should be able to pick up gallons anywhere from $12-$20 depending on variety and nursery. Of course, dark-leaved varieties are slower growing. General info: The plants formerly known as Cimicifuga are typically later bloomers, get huge, and have seed pods as opposed to berries. They like some afternoon shade, but should be in a bright location with some direct morning or evening sun. They are typically woodland edge/savana plants. They don't want to be dry, but I don't find them to be water hogs once they're established either. Treat them like most plants and the'll be fine. They can tolerate full sun with extra water. I highly recommend A. 'Black Negligee' as it has been the fastest growing dark-leaved variety I've tried. Actaea pachypoda, rubra, and a few others are the baneberries. I often see 'Misty Blue' being listed without its species name; it is a form of A. pachypoda. A. pachypoda gets white berries in summer. A rubra gets red berries, though there are white-berried populations. A. nigra is european and gets black berries. They are spring blooming woodland plants and tolerate shade very well. They all have white flowers followed by berries, either red, white, or black. All berries are poisonous. I find them growing here in maple/beech forests, which tend to be very dark. They get 2-3' tall depending on species and variety. A. pachypoda tends to be taller and more upright @ 2'-3', A. rubra is more bushy and shorter and closer to 18"-24". Best bet for success is rich soil with lots of organic matter and even moisture. Some morning sun is good for vigor, especially with A. rubra, but afternoon sun should be avoided. Currently the only one I'm aware of being vegetatively produced with any regularity is 'Misty Blue'. The rest are either seed grown (and fairly expensive- it takes up to 2 year to germinate the seed and another 5-7 years to be a salable plant) or wild collected. Wild collected material should be avoided unless you can certify it came from a construction site rescue. Plant to pay $10 or more for 4.5" quart pots for A. rubra, somewhat less for A. pachypoda as it's a bit faster growing. Both groups are easy to grow, but require some patience. The Plant Geek www.confessionsofaplantgeek.com www.botanophilia.com www.facebook.com/botanophilia
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Iris GW
16 years ago
I haven't done it but the source I have says the seeds should be kept moist - dry storage will do them in. And it does say that it should be warm-cold-warm.
Lynda Waldrep
16 years ago
I have been advised to soak seeds that really should be planted right away, i.e., they don't survive well in dry storage. If I soak them overnight, I usually get moderate germination. If I don't soak, it may take two years or more. And sometimes I have failures, too. If you are really into seed starting, you should get Deno's books. They have planting information as well as expected germination percentages, which helps make me feel better when I "fail" but notice that the expected rate is very low. Ha,ha!
aliska12000
16 years ago
I noticed some seeds on mine, which is more like a bottle brush, arched but not pointy like some photos I looked up. I don't know what variety it is.

It blooms so late, winter was on us before the seeds set, so I saw some in early January, collected them and have winter sowed 3 small batches, January 11, January 16 and February 11.

I'm not the least bit hopeful they'll germinate. Mine will be cold, warm (later), and cold then (next winter), will just let them sit if they don't germinate. I will know when I know. Still have a few seeds left. I can always divide my plant if I have to, would rather not mess with it.

I know they got pollinated because I saw tons of little bees on them, but don't know if they need another plant to cross pollinate.

Actaea (Cimicifuga ramosa / snake root)

Comments (5)

theresa2

Lynda Waldrep

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Iris GW

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aliska12000

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