Mark A. Miller
Family
Ranunculaceae
Botanical Name
ACTAEA matsumurae 'White Pearl'
Plant Common Name
White Pearl Bugbane
General Description
Nodding, bottlebrush-like plumes of fragrant, creamy-white flowers top the stems of 'White Pearl' from midsummer to early fall. It is a selection of Japanese bugbane, a woodland, clumping perennial native to Japan and parts of extreme eastern Asia. It blooms later than other bugbane species and cultivars.
The glossy, light to medium-green leaves are compound - having three leaflets each - and are borne in groups of three on each leaf stalk. The individual leaflets are oval and irregularly toothed. Each stem forms a long flower spike anytime from midsummer to early fall, depending on length and intensity of a region's summer. For weeks, the thousands of tiny, white, fragrant, petal-lacking flowers with many stamens open from green buds from the bottom up on the long spikes that flops over and partially droops.
Plant this slow-to-establish perennial in partial shade and a deep, fertile, moist soil that is rich in organic matter. Do not allow the ground to become bone dry. Japanese bugbane will tolerate full sun only in cooler summer regions and if soil moisture is constant. The airy, fern-like texture of 'White Pearl' contrasts handsomely with lower-growing and round-leaved plants in the mixed shade border. Consider staking to prevent windstorms from toppling the plant, especially as it begins to bloom
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
4 - 9
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Plant Type
Perennial
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Sun Exposure
Partial Shade
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Height
2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m
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Width
18"-24" / 45.7cm - 61.0cm
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Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
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Native To
Eastern Asia, Japan
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White
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Fruit Color
Red, Orange Red
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Light Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Light Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
