I’ve had bugbane in my woodland garden for a few years now, and while the leaves are beautiful, I had not been overly impressed until this summer. The plants finally matured enough to produce flowers, and they do so in an otherworldly fashion: First these long stalks appear with these slender cornhusk-like appendages. The little bulbeous ornaments on these appendages exploded into white starbursts of flowers about a month ago and they are blooming still, although this will probably end soon. What I was not ready for is the interesting smell of these flowers – It is hard to describe as it seems to fall somewhere between vanilla cookies and mothballs – I find it very different from any other flowers I have smelled. Bees, especially bumble bees, seem to agree as they climb up and down the flowery appendages.
If these appendages aren’t different enough already, you will be pleasantly surprised when these explode into flowers
Bugbane is no stranger to folks frequenting health food and herbal remedy stores: It is popular under its other widely used name, black cohosh, as an alternative to hormonal therapy in the treatment of menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood disturbances, diaphoresis, palpitations, and vaginal dryness. There are studies showing improvements in menopausal symptoms, although the study results are mixed when it comes to longer-term use. Safety of use beyond 6 months is unclear, so some caution is warranted. Use of bugbane by women with a history of breast cancer should be done only under the supervision of a doctor.
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