Black cohosh is a tall, shade-obligate perennial in the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family. Native to eastern North American deciduous forests, it grows in dense understory colonies along hillsides and ravines from southern Ontario to Georgia.

The plant produces dramatic white flower racemes, spires up to 60 cm long, that bloom June through September. The flowers are small, lack petals, and rely on stamens for their brush-like appearance. They smell unpleasant. Pollination is primarily by generalist flies and beetles, not bees.

The medicinal parts are the root and rhizome. These are thick, dark, knotted structures with a bitter taste and faint, acrid odor.