Plant Patent #9,988. We are honored to bring this exceptional Actaea cultivar to American gardeners. It boasts the darkest, most dramatic foliage we have ever seen on this native American perennials, paired with abundant spikes of white blooms held straight upwards so that they appear to float in the late-afternoon and evening light. Very dramatic, this easily-grown perennial is highly desirable in the fully to partly shaded border.
The flowers are very small and abundant, arising all around slender bloomspikes a foot long. They have a spiky "bottlebrush" look when viewed up close. From farther away, they look like luminous wands, slightly curved, rising above the border. Expect them to begin in late summer and to continue through fall. Exceptionally fragrant, their scent has been described as "a cross between Phlox paniculata and ripe purple grapes." Very sweet with fruity undertones, in other words!
The foliage is bold as well. It emerges in spring a bright coppery-tinged purple, and keeps its deep hues throughout summer, even in partial sun. 'Hillside Black Beauty' is well-branched and full, offering a good show of foliage that keeps the plant showy even when not in bloom.
Give this Actaea any setting from full shade to half a day of sun (preferably gentle morning sun), acidic soil, plenty of moisture, and a good dressing of compost and other organic matter. The flowering will increase steadily for the first few years as this plant finds its feet in your garden and spreads out. 5 to 6 feet tall, 2 to 3 feet wide, it's an imposing presence!
We ship tissue-propagated plants guaranteed to be nematode-free. Zones 4-8.
