Index / Search / Caulophyllum thalictroides
§1 Plant
Caulophyllum thalictroides (L.) Michx.
vernacular blue cohosh — species · Berberidaceae
§2Habit & range
Habit and range
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Duration
- Perennial
- Group
- Dicot
- Family
- Berberidaceae Juss.
- Genus
- Caulophyllum
§2a
Native status, by region
- CAN Canada Native
- L48 Lower 48 States Native
§2b
County-level range
· 886 counties across 29 states/territories§3Cultivation specs · USDA
Recorded by the USDA Plant Materials Program.
§3a
Tolerances
- Drought
- Low
- Shade
- Low
- Moisture use
- Medium
- Fire
- Low
- Salinity
- None
- Anaerobic
- Low
- CaCO₃
- Low
- Hedging
- None
§3b
Climate & soil
- Cold tolerance
- -33 °F minimum
- Frost-free days
- 120 min.
- Precipitation
- 35–60 in/yr
- pH range
- 4.5–7
- Root depth
- 16 in min.
- Fertility need
- High
- Soil texture
- medium
§3c
Form & growth
- Growth form
- Multiple Stem
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Lifespan
- Moderate
- Mature height
- 2.5 ft
- Foliage texture
- Medium
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Porosity (summer)
- Porous
- Porosity (winter)
- Porous
- Flower colour
- Purple
- Fruit colour
- Brown
- Fire resistant
- No
- N fixation
- None
- Toxicity
- None
§3d
Reproduction
- Bloom period
- Mid Summer
- Seed abundance
- Low
- Seed begins
- Spring
- Seed ends
- Summer
- Spread rate
- Slow
- Stratify
- Yes
- Propagation
- bare root, container, corm, sprigs
§3e
Use & availability
- Commercial availability
- No Known Source
- Nursery stock
- No
- Browse palatability
- Low
- Graze palatability
- Low
- Palatable, human
- Yes
- Protein potential
- Low
- Lumber
- No
- Christmas tree
- No
§4Counties, by state
Recorded in 886 counties across 29 states/territories.
Alabama view state ↗ 7 N ▾
Arkansas view state ↗ 4 N ▾
Delaware view state ↗ 1 N ▾
Georgia view state ↗ 11 N ▾
Illinois view state ↗ 70 N ▾
- Adams 17001
- Alexander 17003
- Bond 17005
- Boone 17007
- Brown 17009
- Bureau 17011
- Calhoun 17013
- Carroll 17015
- Cass 17017
- Champaign 17019
- Christian 17021
- Clark 17023
- Coles 17029
- Cook 17031
- Crawford 17033
- Cumberland 17035
- De Witt 17039
- DeKalb 17037
- Douglas 17041
- DuPage 17043
- Edgar 17045
- Effingham 17049
- Fayette 17051
- Fulton 17057
- Grundy 17063
- Hancock 17067
- Hardin 17069
- Henderson 17071
- Henry 17073
- Iroquois 17075
- Jackson 17077
- Jo Daviess 17085
- Johnson 17087
- Kane 17089
- Kankakee 17091
- Kendall 17093
- Knox 17095
- Lake 17097
- Lawrence 17101
- Lee 17103
- Logan 17107
- Macon 17115
- Macoupin 17117
- Marshall 17123
- Mason 17125
- McHenry 17111
- McLean 17113
- Menard 17129
- Morgan 17137
- Ogle 17141
- Peoria 17143
- Perry 17145
- Piatt 17147
- Pope 17151
- Putnam 17155
- Rock Island 17161
- Schuyler 17169
- Scott 17171
- Shelby 17173
- St. Clair 17163
- Stark 17175
- Stephenson 17177
- Tazewell 17179
- Union 17181
- Vermilion 17183
- Warren 17187
- Will 17197
- Williamson 17199
- Winnebago 17201
- Woodford 17203
Indiana view state ↗ 56 N ▾
- Allen 18003
- Blackford 18009
- Boone 18011
- Brown 18013
- Carroll 18015
- Clark 18019
- Crawford 18025
- Dearborn 18029
- Decatur 18031
- DeKalb 18033
- Delaware 18035
- Floyd 18043
- Fountain 18045
- Franklin 18047
- Grant 18053
- Harrison 18061
- Henry 18065
- Howard 18067
- Huntington 18069
- Jackson 18071
- Jefferson 18077
- Jennings 18079
- Johnson 18081
- Kosciusko 18085
- Lagrange 18087
- Lake 18089
- LaPorte 18091
- Lawrence 18093
- Madison 18095
- Marion 18097
- Marshall 18099
- Monroe 18105
- Montgomery 18107
- Morgan 18109
- Newton 18111
- Noble 18113
- Ohio 18115
- Owen 18119
- Parke 18121
- Perry 18123
- Porter 18127
- Putnam 18133
- Randolph 18135
- Rush 18139
- Scott 18143
- Shelby 18145
- St. Joseph 18141
- Steuben 18151
- Tippecanoe 18157
- Vermillion 18165
- Wabash 18169
- Warren 18171
- Washington 18175
- Wayne 18177
- Wells 18179
- Whitley 18183
Iowa view state ↗ 12 N ▾
Kansas view state ↗ 3 N ▾
Kentucky view state ↗ 61 N ▾
- Adair 21001
- Anderson 21005
- Bell 21013
- Boone 21015
- Boyle 21021
- Breathitt 21025
- Breckinridge 21027
- Bullitt 21029
- Campbell 21037
- Carter 21043
- Casey 21045
- Clay 21051
- Cumberland 21057
- Edmonson 21061
- Elliott 21063
- Estill 21065
- Fayette 21067
- Fleming 21069
- Floyd 21071
- Franklin 21073
- Grant 21081
- Grayson 21085
- Green 21087
- Greenup 21089
- Hardin 21093
- Harlan 21095
- Harrison 21097
- Hart 21099
- Jackson 21109
- Jefferson 21111
- Jessamine 21113
- Kenton 21117
- Knox 21121
- Larue 21123
- Laurel 21125
- Lee 21129
- Leslie 21131
- Letcher 21133
- Lewis 21135
- Lincoln 21137
- Logan 21141
- Madison 21151
- McCreary 21147
- Menifee 21165
- Mercer 21167
- Metcalfe 21169
- Montgomery 21173
- Nelson 21179
- Ohio 21183
- Oldham 21185
- Perry 21193
- Pike 21195
- Pulaski 21199
- Robertson 21201
- Rockcastle 21203
- Rowan 21205
- Scott 21209
- Todd 21219
- Warren 21227
- Wayne 21231
- Whitley 21235
Maine view state ↗ 9 N ▾
Massachusetts view state ↗ 8 N ▾
Michigan view state ↗ 70 N ▾
- Alcona 26001
- Alger 26003
- Allegan 26005
- Alpena 26007
- Antrim 26009
- Arenac 26011
- Baraga 26013
- Benzie 26019
- Berrien 26021
- Branch 26023
- Cass 26027
- Charlevoix 26029
- Cheboygan 26031
- Chippewa 26033
- Clinton 26037
- Delta 26041
- Eaton 26045
- Emmet 26047
- Genesee 26049
- Gladwin 26051
- Gogebic 26053
- Grand Traverse 26055
- Gratiot 26057
- Houghton 26061
- Huron 26063
- Ingham 26065
- Iosco 26069
- Iron 26071
- Isabella 26073
- Jackson 26075
- Kalamazoo 26077
- Kalkaska 26079
- Kent 26081
- Lake 26085
- Lapeer 26087
- Leelanau 26089
- Lenawee 26091
- Livingston 26093
- Luce 26095
- Mackinac 26097
- Macomb 26099
- Marquette 26103
- Mason 26105
- Mecosta 26107
- Menominee 26109
- Midland 26111
- Missaukee 26113
- Montcalm 26117
- Montmorency 26119
- Muskegon 26121
- Newaygo 26123
- Oakland 26125
- Oceana 26127
- Ogemaw 26129
- Ontonagon 26131
- Osceola 26133
- Oscoda 26135
- Otsego 26137
- Ottawa 26139
- Saginaw 26145
- Sanilac 26151
- Schoolcraft 26153
- Shiawassee 26155
- St. Clair 26147
- St. Joseph 26149
- Tuscola 26157
- Van Buren 26159
- Washtenaw 26161
- Wayne 26163
- Wexford 26165
Minnesota view state ↗ 58 N ▾
- Aitkin 27001
- Becker 27005
- Beltrami 27007
- Benton 27009
- Blue Earth 27013
- Brown 27015
- Carlton 27017
- Carver 27019
- Cass 27021
- Chisago 27025
- Clay 27027
- Clearwater 27029
- Cottonwood 27033
- Dakota 27037
- Douglas 27041
- Fillmore 27045
- Goodhue 27049
- Grant 27051
- Hennepin 27053
- Houston 27055
- Hubbard 27057
- Itasca 27061
- Jackson 27063
- Kanabec 27065
- Kandiyohi 27067
- Koochiching 27071
- Lake 27075
- Lake of the Woods 27077
- Le Sueur 27079
- Lincoln 27081
- Mahnomen 27087
- Meeker 27093
- Mille Lacs 27095
- Morrison 27097
- Mower 27099
- Murray 27101
- Nicollet 27103
- Norman 27107
- Olmsted 27109
- Otter Tail 27111
- Pennington 27113
- Pine 27115
- Polk 27119
- Pope 27121
- Ramsey 27123
- Red Lake 27125
- Redwood 27127
- Rice 27131
- Scott 27139
- Sherburne 27141
- St. Louis 27137
- Stearns 27145
- Steele 27147
- Wabasha 27157
- Washington 27163
- Winona 27169
- Wright 27171
- Yellow Medicine 27173
Missouri view state ↗ 54 N ▾
- Atchison 29005
- Benton 29015
- Bollinger 29017
- Boone 29019
- Callaway 29027
- Camden 29029
- Cape Girardeau 29031
- Carter 29035
- Christian 29043
- Clark 29045
- Clay 29047
- Cole 29051
- Crawford 29055
- Dent 29065
- Douglas 29067
- Franklin 29071
- Greene 29077
- Howard 29089
- Howell 29091
- Jackson 29095
- Jasper 29097
- Jefferson 29099
- Knox 29103
- Laclede 29105
- Lawrence 29109
- Lincoln 29113
- Marion 29127
- Mercer 29129
- Moniteau 29135
- Monroe 29137
- Montgomery 29139
- Morgan 29141
- Oregon 29149
- Osage 29151
- Ozark 29153
- Perry 29157
- Phelps 29161
- Polk 29167
- Pulaski 29169
- Ralls 29173
- Randolph 29175
- Reynolds 29179
- Saline 29195
- Schuyler 29197
- Scotland 29199
- Shannon 29203
- St. Clair 29185
- St. Louis 29189
- Sullivan 29211
- Texas 29215
- Warren 29219
- Wayne 29223
- Webster 29225
- Wright 29229
Nebraska view state ↗ 4 N ▾
New Hampshire view state ↗ 8 N ▾
New Jersey view state ↗ 9 N ▾
New York view state ↗ 43 N ▾
- Albany 36001
- Bronx 36005
- Cattaraugus 36009
- Cayuga 36011
- Chautauqua 36013
- Chenango 36017
- Columbia 36021
- Delaware 36025
- Dutchess 36027
- Erie 36029
- Essex 36031
- Genesee 36037
- Greene 36039
- Jefferson 36045
- Lewis 36049
- Livingston 36051
- Madison 36053
- Monroe 36055
- New York 36061
- Niagara 36063
- Oneida 36065
- Onondaga 36067
- Orange 36071
- Orleans 36073
- Oswego 36075
- Otsego 36077
- Putnam 36079
- Rensselaer 36083
- Richmond 36085
- Rockland 36087
- Schoharie 36095
- Seneca 36099
- St. Lawrence 36089
- Suffolk 36103
- Tioga 36107
- Tompkins 36109
- Ulster 36111
- Warren 36113
- Washington 36115
- Wayne 36117
- Westchester 36119
- Wyoming 36121
- Yates 36123
North Carolina view state ↗ 26 N ▾
- Alleghany 37005
- Ashe 37009
- Avery 37011
- Buncombe 37021
- Caldwell 37027
- Clay 37043
- Durham 37063
- Graham 37075
- Greene 37079
- Haywood 37087
- Henderson 37089
- Jackson 37099
- Macon 37113
- Madison 37115
- McDowell 37111
- Mitchell 37121
- Orange 37135
- Polk 37149
- Rutherford 37161
- Stokes 37169
- Swain 37173
- Transylvania 37175
- Union 37179
- Watauga 37189
- Yadkin 37197
- Yancey 37199
North Dakota view state ↗ 2 N ▾
Ohio view state ↗ 88 N ▾
- Adams 39001
- Allen 39003
- Ashland 39005
- Ashtabula 39007
- Athens 39009
- Auglaize 39011
- Belmont 39013
- Brown 39015
- Butler 39017
- Carroll 39019
- Champaign 39021
- Clark 39023
- Clermont 39025
- Clinton 39027
- Columbiana 39029
- Coshocton 39031
- Crawford 39033
- Cuyahoga 39035
- Darke 39037
- Defiance 39039
- Delaware 39041
- Erie 39043
- Fairfield 39045
- Fayette 39047
- Franklin 39049
- Fulton 39051
- Gallia 39053
- Geauga 39055
- Greene 39057
- Guernsey 39059
- Hamilton 39061
- Hancock 39063
- Hardin 39065
- Harrison 39067
- Henry 39069
- Highland 39071
- Hocking 39073
- Holmes 39075
- Huron 39077
- Jackson 39079
- Jefferson 39081
- Knox 39083
- Lake 39085
- Lawrence 39087
- Licking 39089
- Logan 39091
- Lorain 39093
- Lucas 39095
- Madison 39097
- Mahoning 39099
- Marion 39101
- Medina 39103
- Meigs 39105
- Mercer 39107
- Miami 39109
- Monroe 39111
- Montgomery 39113
- Morgan 39115
- Morrow 39117
- Muskingum 39119
- Noble 39121
- Ottawa 39123
- Paulding 39125
- Perry 39127
- Pickaway 39129
- Pike 39131
- Portage 39133
- Preble 39135
- Putnam 39137
- Richland 39139
- Ross 39141
- Sandusky 39143
- Scioto 39145
- Seneca 39147
- Shelby 39149
- Stark 39151
- Summit 39153
- Trumbull 39155
- Tuscarawas 39157
- Union 39159
- Van Wert 39161
- Vinton 39163
- Warren 39165
- Washington 39167
- Wayne 39169
- Williams 39171
- Wood 39173
- Wyandot 39175
Pennsylvania view state ↗ 57 N ▾
- Allegheny 42003
- Armstrong 42005
- Beaver 42007
- Bedford 42009
- Berks 42011
- Blair 42013
- Bradford 42015
- Bucks 42017
- Butler 42019
- Cambria 42021
- Cameron 42023
- Centre 42027
- Chester 42029
- Clarion 42031
- Clearfield 42033
- Clinton 42035
- Crawford 42039
- Dauphin 42043
- Delaware 42045
- Elk 42047
- Erie 42049
- Fayette 42051
- Forest 42053
- Franklin 42055
- Fulton 42057
- Greene 42059
- Huntingdon 42061
- Indiana 42063
- Jefferson 42065
- Juniata 42067
- Lackawanna 42069
- Lancaster 42071
- Lawrence 42073
- Lebanon 42075
- Lehigh 42077
- Luzerne 42079
- Lycoming 42081
- McKean 42083
- Mercer 42085
- Monroe 42089
- Montgomery 42091
- Northampton 42095
- Perry 42099
- Philadelphia 42101
- Pike 42103
- Potter 42105
- Somerset 42111
- Sullivan 42113
- Susquehanna 42115
- Tioga 42117
- Venango 42121
- Warren 42123
- Washington 42125
- Wayne 42127
- Westmoreland 42129
- Wyoming 42131
- York 42133
South Carolina view state ↗ 1 N ▾
South Dakota view state ↗ 3 N ▾
Tennessee view state ↗ 47 N ▾
- Anderson 47001
- Bledsoe 47007
- Campbell 47013
- Cannon 47015
- Carter 47019
- Cheatham 47021
- Claiborne 47025
- Clay 47027
- Cocke 47029
- Coffee 47031
- Cumberland 47035
- Davidson 47037
- DeKalb 47041
- Fentress 47049
- Franklin 47051
- Giles 47055
- Grainger 47057
- Greene 47059
- Grundy 47061
- Hancock 47067
- Hawkins 47073
- Haywood 47075
- Jackson 47087
- Knox 47093
- Lewis 47101
- Lincoln 47103
- Madison 47113
- Marion 47115
- Maury 47119
- Monroe 47123
- Montgomery 47125
- Morgan 47129
- Overton 47133
- Polk 47139
- Putnam 47141
- Roane 47145
- Robertson 47147
- Scott 47151
- Sevier 47155
- Stewart 47161
- Sullivan 47163
- Sumner 47165
- Unicoi 47171
- Van Buren 47175
- Washington 47179
- White 47185
- Williamson 47187
Vermont view state ↗ 13 N ▾
Virginia view state ↗ 52 N ▾
- Albemarle 51003
- Alleghany 51005
- Amherst 51009
- Appomattox 51011
- Augusta 51015
- Bath 51017
- Bedford 51019
- Bland 51021
- Botetourt 51023
- Buchanan 51027
- Buckingham 51029
- Campbell 51031
- Caroline 51033
- Carroll 51035
- Clarke 51043
- Culpeper 51047
- Dickenson 51051
- Fairfax 51059
- Floyd 51063
- Fluvanna 51065
- Franklin 51067
- Frederick 51069
- Giles 51071
- Goochland 51075
- Grayson 51077
- Greene 51079
- Halifax 51083
- Henry 51089
- Highland 51091
- Lee 51105
- Loudoun 51107
- Madison 51113
- Montgomery 51121
- Nelson 51125
- Page 51139
- Patrick 51141
- Pittsylvania 51143
- Pulaski 51155
- Rappahannock 51157
- Rockbridge 51163
- Rockingham 51165
- Russell 51167
- Scott 51169
- Shenandoah 51171
- Smyth 51173
- Spotsylvania 51177
- Tazewell 51185
- Warren 51187
- Washington 51191
- Westmoreland 51193
- Wise 51195
- Wythe 51197
West Virginia view state ↗ 42 N ▾
- Barbour 54001
- Boone 54005
- Braxton 54007
- Brooke 54009
- Calhoun 54013
- Fayette 54019
- Gilmer 54021
- Grant 54023
- Greenbrier 54025
- Hampshire 54027
- Hancock 54029
- Hardy 54031
- Harrison 54033
- Jefferson 54037
- Kanawha 54039
- Lewis 54041
- Lincoln 54043
- Logan 54045
- Marion 54049
- Marshall 54051
- McDowell 54047
- Mercer 54055
- Mingo 54059
- Monongalia 54061
- Monroe 54063
- Nicholas 54067
- Ohio 54069
- Pendleton 54071
- Pleasants 54073
- Pocahontas 54075
- Preston 54077
- Raleigh 54081
- Randolph 54083
- Ritchie 54085
- Summers 54089
- Taylor 54091
- Tyler 54095
- Upshur 54097
- Wayne 54099
- Wetzel 54103
- Wirt 54105
- Wyoming 54109
Wisconsin view state ↗ 67 N ▾
- Adams 55001
- Ashland 55003
- Barron 55005
- Bayfield 55007
- Brown 55009
- Burnett 55013
- Calumet 55015
- Chippewa 55017
- Clark 55019
- Columbia 55021
- Crawford 55023
- Dane 55025
- Dodge 55027
- Door 55029
- Douglas 55031
- Dunn 55033
- Eau Claire 55035
- Florence 55037
- Fond du Lac 55039
- Forest 55041
- Grant 55043
- Green 55045
- Iowa 55049
- Iron 55051
- Jackson 55053
- Jefferson 55055
- Kenosha 55059
- Kewaunee 55061
- La Crosse 55063
- Lafayette 55065
- Langlade 55067
- Lincoln 55069
- Manitowoc 55071
- Marathon 55073
- Marinette 55075
- Menominee 55078
- Milwaukee 55079
- Monroe 55081
- Oconto 55083
- Oneida 55085
- Outagamie 55087
- Ozaukee 55089
- Pepin 55091
- Pierce 55093
- Polk 55095
- Portage 55097
- Price 55099
- Racine 55101
- Richland 55103
- Rock 55105
- Rusk 55107
- Sauk 55111
- Sawyer 55113
- Shawano 55115
- Sheboygan 55117
- St. Croix 55109
- Taylor 55119
- Trempealeau 55121
- Vernon 55123
- Vilas 55125
- Walworth 55127
- Washburn 55129
- Washington 55131
- Waukesha 55133
- Waupaca 55135
- Winnebago 55139
- Wood 55141
§5Sources & provenance
USDA PLANTS
Symbol, taxonomy, distribution, cultivation specs, native status. Public domain.
plants.usda.gov/CATH2 ↗GBIF Backbone
Canonical taxonomic identity, synonym resolution, cross-refs. CC0.
gbif.org/species/3033920 ↗Record version
Cached and built locally. Source version on this record:
usda-plants-mt-2026-05-26
fetched 2026-05-26T20:46:58Z