Cimicifuga (Snakeroot) Black Chocoholic in Bloom - October 2021

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Last Fall, I bought a plant that wasn't known to me, but I liked the traits that the sign at the Morton Arboretum Fall Plant Sale spoke of, so I ended up buying one and bringing it home.  That plant ended up being a Cimicifuga 'Chocoholic' - also know as Black Snakeroot.  What did I like about it?  Shade-loving, fall flowering, purple native(ish) plant.   What's not to like, right?  

When I brought it home last year, it was in bloom.  This week, it is in bloom again this year.  Mid-October for these white blooms you see in the photo below:


I posted a photo of the first fronds (is that what these are??) emerging in early Spring this year - their first Spring.  

This particular plant showed a little bit of drought stress this year with some of the foliage curling in August and September.  The Proven Winners listing mentions giving it constant water through the Summer and taking 'a few years to reach maturity', so I'll continue to babysit it in 2022.

I'm also kicking myself about buying just one of these.  I've shared this post before - about gardening mistakes - and the one that I've made a bunch of times was buying just ONE of a plant.  I should have brought home five of these and now have to be on the lookout for a few more. 

In terms of location, I have this planted back against the fence kind of situated underneath the Kwanzan Flowering Cherry Tree.   The plan calls for some Oakleaf Hydrangeas adajcent to this spot, so that may end up being one of my 2022 priority additions.   

Location: Downers Grove, IL, USA

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