This page is about Black Cohosh, Actaea racemosa, its medicinal properties and place in folklore.
Black cohosh is a plant native to rich, shady woods in eastern areas of North America, and was long known to Native American peoples, but was introduced into Europe as a garden ornamental. The word cohosh comes from the Algonquin term for “rough”, referring to the plant’s gnarled root structure. The medicinal properties of the plant are derived from this portion of the plant. A member of the buttercup family, black cohosh has many common names in North America, including squawroot, black snakeroot, bugbane, bugwort and baneberry. (‘Bane’ in a plant name indicates poison). This image shows black cohosh growing in the Physic Garden in Congleton.
It is referred to by two different Latin names, depending on the source: Actaea racemosa and Cimifuga racemosa. It appears that Linnaeus, the great botanist who first started classifying plants into families, named it Actaea, but later scientists changed it to Cimifuga. Recently, gene studies have proved Linnaeus was correct after all!
Medicinal Uses
Many traditional Native American medicines are available today, and preparations from the root of Black Cohosh are among them. The plant has been used for centuries to reduce menstrual cramps and the symptoms of menopause. Some therapists also believe in its power as a soothing medicine in both physical and mental / emotional conditions.
In the UK this plant is included in the Traditional Herbal Registration Scheme, although this doesn’t mean it has been tested clinically, just that it has been recognised officially. Research has not conclusively confirmed claims for Black Cohosh, with differing views among academics and medics. Nonetheless, it is widely prescribed as a complementary / herbal therapy for menopausal symptoms including hot flushes, mood-swings, irritability, disturbed sleep; and for painful or stressful symptoms of menstruation. It has also been suggested, less frequently, as an anti-inflammatory in cases of arthritis and neuralgia.
WARNING Current advice is that black cohosh should not be taken by breast-feeding or pregnant women, or those trying to become pregnant. Women who have hormone-related cancers should talk to their doctor before taking it. There is also a suggestion that it may affect liver function, so anyone with a liver condition should also avoid it. Like other members of the buttercup family, black cohosh contains toxins, and unsupervised ingestion of any part of the plant could cause severe poisoning.
Myth and Magic
Ancient peoples in North America believed that good health resulted from the harmony of body, mind and spirit, and their medicines, using materials they found in nature, were designed to restore this balance. Their knowledge of herbal remedies was extensive, and they shared this knowledge with European settlers, enabling them to recover from conditions they had formerly expected to be incurable. Unfortunately, some of the European diseases the settlers brought with them were previously unknown in America, and they all too often proved fatal for the native peoples.
Acknowledgements Thanks for much of the above information to the following:
www.herbsformentalhealth.com
www.rhs.org.uk
www.thepoisongarden.co.uk
www.thesacredscience.com
www.umm.edu (University of Maryland, USA)
www.webmd.boots.com
