Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants
Herbaceous PerennialSynonym

Cimicifuga racemosa 'Purpurea'
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

baneberry Atropurpurea Group

Upright plants with brown-purple stems and foliage, and dense spikes of small, fragrant, white flowers in early autumn, often tinted purple in bud. There are a number of named cultivar within this group, chosen for their very dark leaves. Leaf and stem of un-named forms can vary; for best results choose plants in leaf

Synonyms
Cimicifuga racemosa 'Purpurea'
Cimicifuga simplex var. simplex Atropurpurea Group
see moreCimicifuga simplex 'Blackthorn Strain'
Cimicifuga ramosa 'Atropurpurea'
Cimicifuga simplex 'Atropurpureum'
Cimicifuga racemosa 'Atropurpurea'

Join the RHS

Become an RHS Member today and save 25% on your first year

Join now
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.5–1 metres
Growing conditions
Clay
Loam
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Purple Green Purple
Summer Purple Purple
Autumn Purple White Purple
Winter
Position
  • Partial shade
Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H7
Botanical details
Family
Ranunculaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Potentially harmful
Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus

Actaea are rhizomatous herbaceous perennials with compound leaves and small creamy-white flowers in short, erect, simple or branched terminal racemes, followed either by poisonous red, black or white berries, or by star-shaped clustered brown follicles

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in cool, moist, moderately fertile soil, enriched with organic matter. Water thoroughly in dry weather

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in pots in a cold frame in autumn or by division in early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

Cut back after flowering or fruiting

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.