Actaea racemosa L. 1753
Cultivation and Market

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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database/Justice, William S. Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution, Dept. of Systematic Biology, Botany.

Cultivation: Farmers should look for a
reputable seed dealer. Blue cohosh and white cohosh are entirely different herbs with
different toxicities. Black cohosh may grow
in the sun in cooler climates with adequate moisture, though it benefits from light shade.
In the southern US, it prefers light shade, high humidity, and regular watering (Sturdivant and Blakeley 1999, Bascom 2002). According to Cech (2002) it will not self-seed in full sunlight.
A study of black cohosh genetics concluded
that southern populations are more
differentiated than northern populations
(Lueck et al.). This raises the possibility that plants whose lineage is southern might be more particular about location, or that they may
thrive in locations where northern stock will
not. In general it is considered best to plant
seeds or cuttings descended from local stock. Also, it may be important to keep stock descended from foreign populations separate from wild populations (taking pollinators into account) in order to prevent the inadvertent
loss of characteristics you’d rather keep.
Harvest in the fall or early spring after the
fruit has ripened and 3–5 years after planting (Harding 1972, Sturdivant and Blakeley 1999, Bascom 2002).

Site Selection

Black cohosh prefers a rich, moist,
well-drained soil with high organic matter.
In its natural habitat, it is usually found in
shaded or partially-shaded areas. The plant
does well in a woods cultivated, wild-simulated, or artificial shade environment. Harvest costs tend to be higher in a woods-planted environment, as compared to field cultivation,
due to the need for manual labor to bring in the crop.

If an open field is used for production, shade structures should be erected. Typically, wood lath or polypropylene shade cloth is used.
Make the structure seven feet tall or higher
with two ends open to the prevailing breeze.
For forest culture, select a site with good air
and water drainage in an area shaded by tall, preferably hardwood trees. Look for a site
where other woodland plants, such as
mayapple, trillium, bloodroot, ginseng, or
perhaps a native stand of black cohosh, grow.

Planting

Propagation is typically done through seed or root division. Black cohosh is more easily propagated by dividing the rhizomes in spring
or fall. Plants can be started indoors from seed
or seed can be directly sown into the ground,
but the rhizome divisions allow for a more quickly-harvested plant. Plus, large quantities
of seed are not readily available commercially.

To plant rhizomes, cut into vertical sections,
two to three inches in length, making sure there
is at least one bud attached. There can be up to
fifteen buds on a rhizome of one black cohosh plant. Any fibrous roots connected to the
rhizome pieces can remain attached. In a well-prepared three-foot wide bed, plant pieces
deep enough to cover the top of the rhizome
with two inches of soil (usually four to six
inches deep). Stagger plantings 18–24 inches apart, making sure the bud is pointed upright when placing the rhizome pieces in the ground. Mulch beds with at least three inches of
shredded hardwood mulch or leaf mulch. Add
as needed throughout the growing seasons.
Plants should be ready to harvest three to five years after planting.

In the fall, the mature seed can be harvested,
and then sown in the ground immediately.
Collect the seed just as the pod starts to split open. With seedbeds prepared, plant the fresh seeds one and a half to two inches apart, approximately one-quarter inch deep. Cover
with a two-inch layer of mulch and keep moist. Some germination may occur the following spring, but most will not emerge until the second spring. Keep young seedlings moist and shaded. Transplant into regular planting beds when a second set of true leaves emerges. Harvesting
of the root can usually begin four to six years after seeding. To speed up the germination process, Richo Cech, author of Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs, exposes his seeds to warm temperature (70oF for two weeks), then cold temperature (40oF for three months).
Other researchers are currently conducting
seed germination studies for black cohosh; as new information becomes available this
publication will be updated.

Post-harvest:
Most black cohosh is harvested in the fall, primarily because that is when plants are at
their peak in weight and bioactive constituents. There are some buyers who will purchase it in
the spring as well. The rhizome and roots are
the parts harvested. Since it has a dark, thick, and knotty nature, digging is easiest with a spading fork.

Shake the roots free of dirt and carefully
remove any that are not black cohosh. It is not acceptable to include foreign particles. Protect from the sun and heat; do not allow them to dry out. Since fresh roots are susceptible to mold,
do not wash until ready to process. Mixing with sphagnum moss and storing in mesh bags,
burlap bags, or boxes in a cooler will help to reduce mold formation. Check often to prevent roots from drying out and stir to avoid
additional mold growing and to allow some aeration. When ready for processing, it is recommended to wash with a pressure water hose. The knotty roots can be quite a challenge to clean. Take great care to not damage the
roots as they are cleaned and to remove all particles of dirt.

Once the roots are cleaned, dry them in a
warm place with adequate airflow. Black
cohosh roots are usually dried whole. If a
special drying unit is not available, a
dehydrator, converted greenhouse, or
converted rooms in a barn can be used as
drying areas. According to Richo Cech (2002), “Dry for one day with low temperature (70oF) and high air flow. Then, turn up the temperature to 110oF and dry until the roots snap. Make
sure the larger roots are dried thoroughly and throughout. Once they are completely dry,
store in plastic bags, light-proof sacks, or
drums, in a cool, dark, and dry location.”
Keep no longer than one year. For black
cohosh, the dry-down rate is approximately
one-third of its fresh weight. Tim Blakley
(1999) estimates drying time to be five to ten days (longer if roots are large). Potential yield
per acre of the dried rootstock is estimated at 2360 lbs.

Market:

Annual Consumption and Dollar Value

In 1998, around 700,000 pounds of dried black cohosh root were consumed. Almost all of this material came from wild harvested sources. In 1999, world consumption dropped to about 183,000 pounds. It rebounded sharply to approximately 420,000 pounds in 2001. It is estimated that the demand for black cohosh will increase in the next three-to-five years. In 2001, it was estimated that the black cohosh market, in consumption dollars, reached $2.25 million. Projections of consumption well in excess of 500,000 pounds per year are not uncommon. Prices for this material have been increasing steadily since the autumn of 1999.

Supply and Demand

Supplies of this product come mostly from the harvesting of native populations. Only small quantities of cultivated material have made it to market. Prices have risen steadily but have not thus far triggered a strong response among growers to cultivate this material. Supplies are becoming unstable. Many of the large, easily-harvested wild populations have already been exhausted. Harvesters scouring the countryside have to go further off the beaten trail in search of smaller, more widely-scattered sources.

Suppliers of black cohosh are well dispersed throughout the natural range. They are more prevalent in the southeastern region of the range because that is where the largest concentration of sizeable wild populations exists. Demand for black cohosh is increasing by 20–30% per year and will exceed supply in the near future due to the interest in a replacement for estrogen therapy. Demand for cultivated product will increase as naturally occurring populations become fewer in number and more widely dispersed. Just a few decades ago, the vast majority of the black cohosh that was harvested was sent to Europe for processing and consumption. Cultivation efforts are currently underway in the United States and Europe, although Bisset and Wichtl reported in 2004 that only approximately 3% of the supply was from cultivated sources, down from an estimate of 10% in the 2001 harvest season. .
Customers often require black cohosh with specific levels of triterpene glycosides and isoflavones. With growing health concerns over hormone replacement therapy (HRT), many health professionals are looking to black cohosh and other natural substances as potential treatment options for menopause symptoms. Positive clinical results for black cohosh continue to drive demand.

Pricing

Black cohosh has never traded in a very high price range for a sustained period of time, but its current price is starting to move stealthily upward. Cultivated material will become more prevalent in the supply chain as prices increase 10–20% annually over the same period. Overall supply will increase but not at a rate commensurate to demand growth. This factor should keep prices moving upward with moderate momentum. The significant increase in demand has been satisfied by additional wild harvested material coming to market. In 1998, demand tripled from the previous year to almost 756,000 pounds. However, due to easy access to wild populations, the price increased by only 40 cents per pound from 1997 levels. In 2004, the price per pound of dried root ranged from $2.50 to $7.00/lb. In sharp contrast, there were a few growers selling cultivated, certified organic black cohosh for as much as $25.00 per dried pound.

Distribution Channels

As mentioned, renewed interest in this material by pharmaceutical companies has led to larger companies contracting directly with wild-harvest suppliers. Interest in cultivation, particularly organically certified cultivation, has also increased. Still, the majority of this material continues to flow through general brokers. Higher root prices will continue to keep small collectors foraging for natural populations.

Commercial Visibility

Black cohosh was identified as one of the fastest growing herbal products in 1998. It has found its way into a number of commercial products, including the early 20th century product “Change-O-Life” formula and, more recently, “Remifemin”. “Remifemin” is a derivative of black cohosh and was introduced as a prescription drug in Germany in the 1950’s.

In 1997, GlaxoSmithKline marketed it in this country as "Remifemin Menopause." Of the leading nutraceutical/botanical companies in the United States and Europe, 46% offer black cohosh as a stand-alone product, and 65% offer this material as either a stand-alone product or as part of a multi-constituent supplement. For example, “together with Dioscorea composita and Angelica sinensis, black cohosh is marketed as phytoestrogen. It is also used as dietary supplement for dietary support needed to naturally assist normal healthy life changes in women. With damiana (Turnera aphrodisiaca) leaf and stem, siberian ginseng root, and Ginkgo biloba leaf , it is marketed as menopausal solution; and with shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) roots and other herbs, it is marketed as Cycle I Estrotonic. [These and other products are] marketed in the form of powder, capsules, and extract by Solaray, Emerita, FemSupport. Nature’s Way, Herbs Etc, and many other companies (Das et al. 2001).”

Black cohosh is also gaining popularity as an ornamental among shade gardeners, nursery container growers, and landscapers. Selections of native species are available as well as varieties with purplish leaves and stems. As a background plant in a shade garden, the gracefulness of this plant, in flower, will hardly go unnoticed. In 2004, nursery containers sold in retail nurseries for $4 or more apiece. Wholesale nursery stock brought about $2 per plant. Larger volumes sold as roots for about $1000 per pound. Currently, most growers who want to buy enough roots to plant an acre or more must purchase them from buyers who source the material from wildcrafters. Being a source of high-quality, cultivated planting stock will be a good niche for a few growers.
Since black cohosh can take more than three years to reach a harvestable root size, growers interested in large-scale commercial production should consider planting black cohosh as soon as possible. Once production gets underway, growers can produce their own planting stock, and perhaps offer quantities to other growers. Also see Persons and Davis (2005) for more information.
This Medicinal Herb Production Guide includes excerpts from, Analysis of the economic viability of cultivating selected botanicals in North Carolina. Strategic Reports. 2002.