My love of Black Cohosh

Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa, formerly Cimicifuga racemosa) is very dear to me. It is one of the reasons I decided to become an herbalist, because I experienced firsthand the healing it can bestow upon us. When I was experiencing the emotional rollercoaster a lot of women go through during their menstruating years, I decided to try herbal medicine to see if I could get some relief from the angst and worry that I was experiencing each month prior to my period. Enter Black Cohosh. She changed my life! Slowly but surely the dark clouds disappeared, and my mood shifted to one that was more evenly balanced. Of course, there were dietary changes and other lifestyle changes that I needed to do as well, but Black Cohosh played a key role in balancing my moods and getting me through those challenging years. And that set me on the path of wanting to learn anything and everything about herbs and their healing powers.

Black Cohosh is not just a plant to balance our hormones, although it does help immensely in this area. Studies have found that combining it with St John's wort can help relieve peri- and menopausal symptoms. It appears that Black Cohosh suits those who are teary and get upset easily before their period, as opposed to being irritable and angry.

It can also ease menstrual cramps, relieve nervous tension, lower blood pressure, and help with tinnitus, asthma and whooping cough.

It is anti-inflammatory and can help ease the pain associated with inflammatory arthritis, as well as rheumatoid arthritis. I have found with some patients that it can really turn things around when it's been added to their formula.

"Jackie" had been suffering from psoriatic arthritis for many years when she came to see me. Her joints were stiff and sore and progressively getting worse, and her moods were unstable as she weaved her way through menopause. We made her a nice formula to start with which did help in many areas but her moods were still up and down and the joint pain wasn't subsiding, so after pulse testing her on Black Cohosh I added it to the formula and within a couple of months things really started to change - the joint pain eased and she started to have a consistently positive outlook on life.

Black Cohosh is wonderful for the spirit. It connects our spirit to our body, keeps us grounded, helps us to see joy and beauty in the world and can bring a sense of peace and harmony to our lives. It helps our spirit to soar and thrive, and for us to be present.

I have many Black Cohosh plants in my garden. I started with just two plants that I bought from Kahikatea Farm many moons ago, and each year I have divided the plants up and now I have around 20 plants, all thriving in my garden. They do prefer the shade and moisture (think woodlands) but will adapt to full sun. I have noticed the plants in semi shade do look healthier though. I harvest the root once the plants are three years old, always keeping a couple of crowns aside to replant in the garden. The smell of the dark brown/golden roots is phenomenal - acrid, earthy, sweet. The taste is similar - something I personally like but it's not for everyone. The flowers are spectacular - long wispy stems with sweetly scented white flower spikes, and the bees absolutely adore them.

I generally make a tincture with Black Cohosh, but it can also be powdered into capsules. Some herbalists make the oil and use this externally, but I am yet to try this so cannot report on this yet.

This precious plant is endangered in its homeland, the USA, from overharvesting, so I'm happy I grow my own plants at home. Apart from the medicine being more potent, it ensures I'm not inadvertently purchasing the root from plants that may not have been harvested sustainably.

Summer flowering plant; fresh root; fresh root tincture