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Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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Posted by
Kashka_Kat z4 WI (
My Page) on
Tue, May 11, 04 at 12:50
| Would either of these be good behind 2-3' plants? They're supposed to be 5' tall, but the picture of the cimicifuga shows that most of the foilage is quite low and its only the flower stalk that rises high-- so I'm wondering where to position it-- maybe more in middle or front of border?
Have never seen them in real life before, only pictures. How far to space them apart? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| It is true that the cimicifuga foliage is only about 18 inches high (in general and in my garden). So that might get obscured behind something that is 2-3 feet high. The foliage can be fairly wide when they send up multiple "leaves", so space them a good distance apart (3 to 4 feet). I don't have any experience with arunca. |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| My Aruncus dioicus have foliage about 4' tall in dappled shade. The flowers are another foot at least. Wonderful plant for zone 7, and their hardiness rating goes down to zone 3 so you should be fine. Mine get bigger and better every year. |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| My cimicifuga is planted in deep shade on the north side of the house. It gets about four feet tall and the spiky flower about two more feet. Unless I stake them, most of them flop quite a bit. My Aruncus doicus is fuller, but only about 4 feet tall. I have to stake it too, or it falls over into the path. For me, the cimicifuga is taller and thinner; the Aruncus quite a bit fuller (2-3 feet wide) and not as tall. |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| Bummer! I didnt know they were floppy. But thanks for the info, that tells me where to put them.... |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| My aruncus in full shade (north side, peaked roof, trees) are a bit floppy, but in dappled shade (trees) they are not floppy at all. |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| Have you considered thalictrum for your background plant? |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| If aruncus gets part sun it stays full, more like a shrub, and not floppy at all. Mine is about 4' tall, too, and about as wide. Jeanne |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| Here is a picture of Cimicifuga 'Brunette' taken last summer. When in bloom, the plant is easily 6' tall with about 4' of foliage. It gets some afternoon sun. I haven't planted tall plants in front but you could get away with 2', maybe 3' depending on how much of the Cimicifuga foliage you want to see. 
Although these can be a bit slow to establish, once they get going, they make quite the archetectural statement. Sue |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| I have both Cimicifuga Hillside Black Beauty and Aruncus growing in morning sun and have never needed to stake them. The Cimicifuga does take a while to reach a substantial height but is now about 4' after about 3-4 years. Kathie |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| Kathie, I just got 2 Black Beauties the other day--they really are beauties! One will be in its own spot-- path kinda goes around it. As it turns out the 2nd one wont work where I thought it would. Maybe put them together to create one big plant? They are supposed to "colonize," or spread by rhizomes so I'd be giving them a head start? Make sense? What do they smell like? The tag says "fragrant," but one of the horticulture websites says "unpleasant odor!" |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| I see that some plant cimicifuga in deep shade. Does the black beauty retain the color in deep shade also? Maria |
RE: Cimicifuga VS Arunca
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| "What do they smell like? The tag says "fragrant," but one of the horticulture websites says "unpleasant odor!" I have smelled the leaves and they don't smell good but you do have to get close to them. Maria |
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