Black Cohosh

(Actaea racemosa)
(aka Cimicifuga racemosa)

Other Names:
Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Bugwort, Cimicifuga, Fairy Candles, Rattlerroot, Rattleweed, Richweed, Squaw Root

Range:


Family:
Ranunculaceae - Buttercup or Crowfoot Family

Growth Type:
Smooth herbaceous perennial plant

Height:
Up to 2 feet tall

Leaves:
Tripinnately compound leaves thrice divided with a coarsely toothed (serrated) margin. Terminal leaflet 3 lobed, middle lobe largest.

Stem/Trunk:
Sturdy erect single or branched stem

Root:
Rhizome

Flower Season:
Late spring to early summer

Flower Appearance:
White flowers in borne very long spikes. On a tall stem, 3'-8' tall, forming racemes up to 2' long. They have no petals or sepals, and consist of tight clusters of 55-110 white, 5-10 mm long stamens surrounding a white stigma. They have a distinctly sweet, fetid smell that attracts flies, gnats, and beetles.

Seed/Fruit:
The fruit is a dry follicle 5-10 mm long, with one carpel, containing several seeds.

Miscellaneous characteristics:
N/A

Habitat:
Rich woodlands

Parts Used:
Roots

Culinary Uses:
None Known

The following text is meant for informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness or injury. Always consult with a physician or other qualified medical care provider concerning the diagnosis and treatment of any illness or injury.

Energetics
Taste: Bitter
Thermal: Warming
Humidity: Drying

Traditional Medicinal Uses:
Root tincture has been used as an anti-inflammatory to treat rheumatism. It has also been showed to be highly effective when treating hot flashes associated with menopause. There is also evidence that it eases PMS symptoms as well. Historically some Native American tribes used Black Cohosh to treat snake bite. I can find no credible mention of antitoxin or anti venom actions.

Use to treat amenorrhea, bronchitis, chorea, dysmenorrhea, fibroids, intercostal myalgia, menopausal symptoms, muscular arthritis, neuralgia, pelvic inflammatory disease, premenstrual syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica, tinnitus aurium, uterine spasm, whooping cough.

Conditions Treated: Proven By Scientific Studies
The following is a list of medical conditions treated using this plant, and links to scientific studies demonstrating said use.

Amenorrhea: Rahal, Anu, Amit Kumar, Sandip Chakraborty, Ruchi Tiwari, Shyma K. Latheef, and Kuldeep Dhama. "Cimicifuga: a revisiting indigenous herb with multi-utility benefits for safeguarding human health—a review." International Journal of Agronomy Plant Production 4 (2013): 1590-1601.

Atrophic Vaginitis: Rahal, Anu, Amit Kumar, Sandip Chakraborty, Ruchi Tiwari, Shyma K. Latheef, and Kuldeep Dhama. "Cimicifuga: a revisiting indigenous herb with multi-utility benefits for safeguarding human health—a review." International Journal of Agronomy Plant Production 4 (2013): 1590-1601.

Vaginal Atrophy: Rahal, Anu, Amit Kumar, Sandip Chakraborty, Ruchi Tiwari, Shyma K. Latheef, and Kuldeep Dhama. "Cimicifuga: a revisiting indigenous herb with multi-utility benefits for safeguarding human health—a review." International Journal of Agronomy Plant Production 4 (2013): 1590-1601.

Bronchitis: Rahal, Anu, Amit Kumar, Sandip Chakraborty, Ruchi Tiwari, Shyma K. Latheef, and Kuldeep Dhama. "Cimicifuga: a revisiting indigenous herb with multi-utility benefits for safeguarding human health—a review." International Journal of Agronomy Plant Production 4 (2013): 1590-1601.

Dysmenorrhea: Lawrence, A. Sheeba, and T. Ezhilarasi. "A Clinical study to assess the effectiveness of Actaea racemosa 30 C and 200 C in cases of primary dysmenorrhea in young females."

Intercostal Myalgia: Denham, Alison, Julia Green, and Sue Hawkey. "What’s in the bottle? Prescriptions formulated by medical herbalists in a clinical trial of treatment during the menopause." Journal of Herbal Medicine 1, no. 3-4 (2011): 95-101.

Menopause: Wuttke, Wolfgang, Karel Rauš, and Christoph Gorkow. "Efficacy and tolerability of the Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) ethanolic extract BNO 1055 on climacteric complaints: A double-blind, placebo-and conjugated estrogens-controlled study." Maturitas 55 (2006): S83-S91.

Muscular Rheumatism: Mahady, Gail B., Brian Doyle, Tracie Locklear, Scott J. Cotler, Grace Guzman-Hartman, and Rajabather Krishnaraj. "Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) for the mitigation of menopausal symptoms: recent developments in clinical safety and efficacy." Women’s Health 2, no. 5 (2006): 783-793.

Neuralgia: Lawrence, A. Sheeba, and T. Ezhilarasi. "A Clinical study to assess the effectiveness of Actaea racemosa 30 C and 200 C in cases of primary dysmenorrhea in young females."

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): Brice-Ytsma, Hananja, and Nathalie Chidley. Herbal Medicine in Treating Gynaecological Conditions Volume 2: Specific Conditions and Management Through the Practical Usage of Herbs. Aeon Books, 2024.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): Cordaro, Marika, Ramona D’Amico, Roberta Fusco, Tiziana Genovese, Alessio Filippo Peritore, Enrico Gugliandolo, Rosalia Crupi et al. "Actaea racemosa L. Rhizome Protect against MPTP-Induced Neurotoxicity in Mice by Modulating Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation." Antioxidants 12, no. 1 (2022): 40.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rai, Vishal. "Phytochemical Screening and Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Actaea racemosa (Black Cohosh) in management of menopausal symptoms & other medicinal applications." Dialogues in Cardiovascular Medicine 30 (2025): 33-48.

Sciatica: Chen, Li-Ru, and Kuo-Hu Chen. "Utilization of isoflavones in soybeans for women with menopausal syndrome: an overview." International journal of molecular sciences 22, no. 6 (2021): 3212.

Uterine Leiomyomas (Fibroids): Tester, Jodie, and Tessa Finney-Brown. "Cimicifuga racemosa extract compared to tibolone in peri/post menopausal women with uterine fibroids." Australian Journal of Herbal and Naturopathic Medicine 27, no. 1 (2015): 34.

Medicinal Actions:
Analgesic, Antiasthmatic, Antihypothyroid, Anti-Inflammatory, Antirheumatic, Antitussive, Emmenagogue, Estrogenic, Nervine, Oxytocic, Sedative, Tonic: Cardiac