Cimicifuga ‘Atropurpurea’
What an interesting plant for shade! This beautiful perennial blooms in the fall on up to 6’ flower spikes. It prefers shade to partial sun, and a moist, but well drained soil.
The dark foliage is a wonderful contrast to hostas, and the flowers provide a lovely fragrance to the garden. They are a little slow to establish, taking up to 3 years to form a mature clump, but it is worth the wait.
Another notable cultivar is ‘Hillside Black Beauty’, which has the darkest foliage of all types, and the blooms are tinged pink.