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Blue Cohosh
Caulophyllum thalictroides

Blue Cohosh is a woodland plant that prefers moist conditions. The berries are not edible.

USDA symbol: CATH2

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height2 feet
Light ExposurePart Sun, Shade
Soil MoistureDry
Bloom ColorGreen
Blue Cohosh (Blue Cohosh<div><em class="small">Caulophyllum thalictroides</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Wildflowers (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceLow
General Resilience6
Salt ToleranceNone
Stress ToleranceAcidic Conditions

Pollinator Value: High

Bloom MonthsApril to May
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar, Supports Generalists

Project Planning

Project TypeRain Garden
Coefficient of Conservatism8
Herbivore SensitivityLow
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Mahnomen, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Swift, Todd, Wabasha, Wadena, Washington, Watonwan, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands