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

I have Cimicifuga 'Brunette' and I guess a really different sense of smell from everyone else who has posted. ;>) I love the plant, but I find the scent of the foliage when I brush against it unpleasant. I am not sure about the flower scent, since it's at the back of the garden and by the time I've climbed back there, I've brushed against some of the foliage and that's all I can smell. I have noticed that my flowers are loaded with insects, though, rather like my lavender. I think you are safe as long as you don't plant it where your inlaws may brush against it. What a lovely gift for them!

Mine (a different dark-leaved variety, Brunette) grows happily in a spot with a bit of morning sun and a bit of late afternoon sun, and relatively bright shade between. It's not a formal plant, but is quite nice - I wouldn't say only for a natural setting. The flowers are long bottle brushes, and come at a time when not a lot else is blooming in late summer. I find the foliage quite striking, rather like a larger, dark astilbe. The foliage is a tiny bit fuzzy and has a slightly unpleasant odor to my nose when brushed against, so I wouldn't put it right next to a door or pathway where people would come in contact with it, but a couple of feet away would be fine. I put mine in a bed where I knew some utility work would be happening down the road and I'd need to move it at some point. I thought perenials would be easier to move than shrubs after a couple of years . . . Well, the moving time arrived last fall, and the Cimicifuga had a large, dense, HEAVY rootball after just three years, so I would advise putting it where you won't have to move it. How about placing it just to the right or left of your cellar window?

One largish shade tolerant perennial is Cimicifuga AKA Actea which blooms for a couple of weeks in early fall with white bottlebrushes. There are cultivars with dark reddish foliage that are decorative all season. Variegated Solomon's seal has subtle spring flowers, but they aren't the main reason for growing the plant. Its arching green and cream foliage is lovely. My Georgia blue veronica makes a lovely groundcover in substantial shade, blooming mid-dark blue now and then keeping tidy foliage the remainder of the season. There are some ferns that are drought tolerant, but I don't know what they are off the top of my head. I like using Missouri Botanical Garden's plant search even though they are a bit warmer than I am, and they also have pages devoted to problem areas. Plants for dense shade: http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Resultspsp8.asp?pspid=9 Plants for dry shade: http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Resultspsp8.asp?pspid=10 Here is a link that might be useful: Missouri Botanical Garden's plant search