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cimicifuga - what does it smell like
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Posted by
paulsiu 5a (
My Page) on
Mon, Apr 23, 12 at 13:05
| I notice that bugs don't like the smell of cimicifuga, so what does it smell like :-)? Just don't want to plant it in my in-laws yard and then get complaints.
Paul
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: cimicifuga - what does it smell like
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| It smells like grape soda pop to me. Love it but it doesn't drift as far as I'd like. |
RE: cimicifuga - what does it smell like
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| You mean the flowers or the plant itself? The flowers of Cimicifuga simplex Atropurpurea smell of strong honey and attract millions of insects(especially hoverflies). Cimicifuga foetida is said to be ill-smelling. |
RE: cimicifuga - what does it smell like
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| The bottle brush flowers on mine smell sweet and are covered with bumblebees right up until a killing frost. I have them planted at the back of my shade bed so I don't get a whiff of the fragrance when I pass by on the concrete walk. I've never noticed any scent coming from the foliage. |
RE: cimicifuga - what does it smell like
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| Yes the scent is heavenly to me at least, but I only smell it when very close to the flowers. And yes, bumblebees go totally, completely nuts with the flowers. Often there are so many of them on them, they bend over slightly. Kevin |
RE: cimicifuga - what does it smell like
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- Posted by carrieb 7 Philadelphia (My Page) on
Mon, Apr 23, 12 at 16:16
| Cimicifuga racemosa (Now Actaea racemosa)? Smells like heaven. |
RE: cimicifuga - what does it smell like
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| I have Cimicifuga 'Brunette' and I guess a really different sense of smell from everyone else who has posted. ;>) I love the plant, but I find the scent of the foliage when I brush against it unpleasant. I am not sure about the flower scent, since it's at the back of the garden and by the time I've climbed back there, I've brushed against some of the foliage and that's all I can smell. I have noticed that my flowers are loaded with insects, though, rather like my lavender. I think you are safe as long as you don't plant it where your inlaws may brush against it. What a lovely gift for them! |
RE: cimicifuga - what does it smell like
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| I think it is a musky, semi-sweet fragrance. I like it. However, William Cullina says this about Cimicifuga racemosa in his native Wildflowers book: "It's one drawback is the odor of the blooms, which has the sour, musky smell I associate with overly territorial male cats, but which probably serves to attract pollinating beetles." So I guess fragrance is in the nose of the beholder, haha. As others have mentioned, the bees really love these blooms. I've watched the bumblebees rolling all over them. |
RE: cimicifuga - what does it smell like
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| C racemosa smells pretty rank to me. |
RE: cimicifuga - what does it smell like
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I also think this plant (A. simplex 'Atropurpurea') smells terrible in bloom. To me it is like something rotting in the drain, lol!
CMK |
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