How to Identify Wild Black Cohosh

If you want to decide to harvest black cohosh, you must learn how to identify the plant. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine reports mixed results when studying the therapeutic affects of black cohosh but some alternative and native healers see it as a helpful herb in treating a variety of symptoms and conditions. Herbalists use the fresh or dried underground stems and roots of black cohosh to make infusions, tinctures, capsules and extracts. You can harvest these roots after identifying the plant.

Look for the black cohosh plant in shaded areas in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness Zone 3. You will find black cohosh plants in moist, rich ground. It grows in big patches in areas from southern Canada to the Appalachian Mountains, in Eastern states and throughout the Midwest. You can find black cohosh as far south as Georgia and Missouri.

Search for black cohosh in open woods and on hillsides. Observe plants that reach about 8 feet in height. If you want to find black cohosh in the summertime, check for a tall plant that has a long plumb of white flowers. Each stalk can contain dozens of individual flowers, and the flowers will bloom between June and September. These flower buds resemble tiny round buttons that open into a flower. Each flower bud has several strands in its center, called stamens.

Check the leaves on the plant. Black cohosh plants have large leaves. The three compound divisions of the leaves arrange on each side of the plant's stalk, called the pinnate. You will see irregular tiny, toothed leaflets along the edges of the leaves.

Look at the plant's rootstock. The roots of the black cohosh appear knotted and scarred with old growth. The horizontal stem of the plant, the rhizome, appears black and rough. If you want to replant the black cohosh, you must cut and divide the rhizome and each portion must have a nascent bud and rootlets.

Smell the plant. Black cohosh smells fetid, but this smell attracts bees that pollinate the flowers. Observe to see if the plant attracts bees and insects, as a black cohosh plant in bloom will attract lots of bees and other insects.

Some research points to the possibility that black cohosh may cause problems for people with liver conditions. In addition, you should always check with your doctor to ascertain whether you can take black cohosh. Black cohosh is contraindicated for pregnant and nursing mothers and people with aspirin sensitivities.