Download Tall bugbane - Draft - UBC Geography

Tall Bugbane (Actaea elata; formerly Cimicifuga elata)
Global: G3 Provincial: S1 COSEWIC: E (May 2001) BC List: Red
South Coast Occurrence Range
Distribution: Tall bugbane is endemic to the Pacific Northwest, occurring from
southwestern British Columbia to southwestern Oregon. In BC it is found only within the
Chilliwack River valley at low to mid elevations, below 1600 meters. All 10 known sites
occur within the western half of the valley, mostly from Vedder Mountain and Elk Mountain.
However, suitable habitat occurs throughout the valley and undiscovered populations likely
exist. Naturally rare throughout its range, populations in BC are small and scattered,
consisting of only 1 to 63 individuals.
Description: This tall perennial reaches up to two meters in height. Plants feature large
compound leaves and numerous (50 to 900) tiny white flowers clustered on branched
bottlebrush-like racemes. The alternate leaves are divided into threes with 9-17 lobed
leaflets, each up to 18 cm long. Like many of its relatives in the Buttercup Family
(Ranunculaceae), the flowers of tall bugbane lack petals and instead attract pollinators with
numerous showy white stamens. Each flower is surrounded by five tiny sepals. The fruits
are dry pod-like follicles (up to 1 cm long) which remain on the plant long after flowering
and split open in fall or winter to release about a dozen reddish-brown seeds. However,
plants spread primarily by woody horizontal rhizomes rather than by seed.
Look’s Like?
Young plants may be confused with the more wide-spread baneberry (Actaea rubra), which
has similar looking leaves. To tell them apart look at the leaflets. They are broader in tall
bugbane (leaflets are wider than they are long) and more egg-shaped in baneberry (leaflets
are longer than wide). When mature, these two species are easily distinguished by the
flowers and fruits. Flowers of tall bugbane occur in narrow racemes and the fruits are dry
follicles. Flowers of baneberry occur in rounded clusters and the fruits are white or red
berries. Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) is another species that may be mistaken for tall
bugbane when it is not flowering. Thimbleberry has similarly shaped leaves but they are
undivided, compared to the leaves of tall bugbane which are divided into groups of three
leaflets.
Habitat: Tall bugbane occurs in moist, shady, deciduous and mixed forests dominated by
Douglas fir, bigleaf maple, western red cedar and western hemlock. It is the deciduous trees
in these forests that provide the perfect combination of shade, light and moisture retention. In
fact the presence of bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) is the best indicator of suitable
habitat for tall bugbane. Tall bugbane is also sometimes associated with red alder (Alnus
rubra). Preferring mature or old-growth forests, tall bugbane is absent from young managed
forests (less than 30 years old) where there are few canopy openings and increased
competition with other plant species. Understory plants commonly associated with tall
bugbane include devil’s club, Oregon grape, salmonberry, sword fern, foam flower and
vanilla leaf. Tall bugbane is often found near creeks and streams or on seepage slopes and
bench lands, where mountain beaver is found. Tall bugbane occasionally colonizes clearcuts
and road cuts, although it seems to be unable to persist in these sites.
Critical Features
 Small populations and a sporadic distribution make tall bugbane extremely vulnerable to
random events such as drought, intense forest fires, overgrazing by herbivores and
natural variations in population growth.
 At the extreme northern edge of its range, populations in BC are vulnerable to the effects
of climate change.
 The sporadic distribution of tall bugbane is likely due to its low seed germination and
dispersal rates, which also limit the ability of this species to recover. The heavy seeds
are poorly adapted for dispersal and the flowers are less attractive to pollinators than
competing species. To compound this limited ability to colonize new sites, individual
plants can persist in a semi-dormant stage with only one or two leaves for several years
without flowering at all. Within a site, plants spread primarily by woody rhizomes.
Seasonal Life Cycle
Jan Feb Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Flowering
Fruit production and seed
dispersal
Threats
 Forest management and harvesting practices are the main threats to tall bugbane in BC.
Harvesting causes habitat loss and fragmentation, threatening existing populations and
reducing the amount and quality of mature forest, which is the preferred habitat of this
species.
 With its limited ability to produce viable seeds, this species is further threatened by
adverse impacts to its pollinators, mainly bumblebees and honey bees. Bees are
vulnerable to pesticide use, the spread of infectious diseases and the destruction of their
nests during logging activities.
 Tall bugbane is sold in nurseries as a garden plant and is also used for medicinal
purposes. Because populations consist of so few individuals and tall bugbane is such a
poor disperser, this species is especially vulnerable to over-harvesting.
Conservation Objectives
 Protection is needed for all known populations in BC, especially since nearly all occur
on unprotected land. Historical and potential new habitat should be identified and
maintained as recovery habitat.
 The health of existing populations must be protected to encourage population growth
and dispersal.


Research is underway to uncover information that will help us to conserve and recover
tall bugbane in BC. Knowing more about tall bugbane’s population dynamics, life
history characteristics, relationships with pollinators and specific habitat requirements
will help us determine how to achieve that goal.
In BC all tall bugbane populations occur within managed forests. It is important to
compare the effects of different forest harvesting practices on the long term viability of
this species in managed forests.
Management Practices Check List
 Protect populations by creating a core area, with a buffer and surrounding management
zone. The core area should enclose the perimeter of the population and be surrounded
by a 30 to 50 meter buffer. The surrounding management zone should be between 150
and 200 meters or wider, depending on the site.
 Maintain a diverse stand structure, retain canopy gaps and encourage deciduous trees
and shrubs, especially bigleaf maple, where populations occur.
 Maintain site hydrology and microclimatic conditions within the core area.
 Minimize human impacts and disturbance to populations.
 Prevent forest harvesting and salvaging within core areas.
 Minimize the construction of roads, trails, recreational facilities and stream crossings
within the management zone.
 Within the management zone, minimize damage to plants during road maintenance
activities, such as grading and brush cutting. Prevent mowing and spraying of plants.
 Do not use pesticides or herbicides near populations. Avoid broadcast spraying within
forest stands where tall bugbane resides.
 Prevent the introduction and spread of invasive plants which will easily outcompete this
poor competitor. If seeding is required to restore sites near tall bugbane populations, use
only native species.
 Prevent harvesting of plants and seeds by collectors.
 Enclosures can be used around populations to reduce grazing and increase seed
production.
Mitigating Impacts
 Within populations encourage canopy gaps to promote more vigorous growth and
flowering.
 Continue to distribute information like the BC Provincial Government’s “Tall Bugbane,
Endangered” brochure to encourage the public to report new populations and reduce
unnecessary harvesting.
Main References/Literature Cited
B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. 2004. Tall Bugbane (Cimicifuga elata) in
Accounts and Measures for Managing Identified Wildlife – Accounts V. 2004.
[http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/frpa/iwms/accounts.htm] B.C. Ministry of Water, Land
and Air Protection, Victoria, B.C. Accessed June 2008.
British Columbia Conservation Data Centre. 2008. BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer
[http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/]. B.C. Ministry of Environment, Victoria, B.C.
Accessed June, 2008.
Douglas, G.W., D.V. Meidinger, and J. Pojar (editors). 1999. Illustrated Flora of British
Columbia. Volume 4: Dicotyledons (Orobanchaceae Through Rubiaceae). B.C. Ministry
of Environment, Lands & Parks and B.C. Ministry of Forests. Victoria. 427 p.
Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2006. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British
Columbia [www.eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of
Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
Klinkenberg, Brian. 2007. National Recovery Strategy for Tall Bugbane, Actaea elata, in
Canada. South Coast Conservation Program and BC Ministry of Environment.
Klinkenberg, Brian and Rose Klinkenberg. 2003. National Recovery Strategy for Tall
Bugbane (Actaea elata) in Canada. Recovery of Nationally Endangered Wildlife
(RENEW). Ottawa, Ontario. Draft.
Knopp, D. and L. Larkin. 2005. National Recovery Action Plan for Tall Bugbane (Actaea
elata) in British Columbia, Five Year Plan - 2003 to 2008. Recovery of Nationally
Endangered Wildlife (RENEW). Ottawa, Ontario. Draft.
NatureServe. 2008. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life
[http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/]. Version 7.0. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
Accessed June, 2008.
Penny, Jenifer L. and George W. Douglas. 2001. COSEWIC Status Report on the Tall
Bugbane (Cimicifuga elata) in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife
in Canada. Ottawa.
SARA Public Registry Office. 2007. Species at Risk Public Registry
[http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca]. Environment Canada, Government of Canada, Ottawa,
Ontario. Accessed June, 2008.
Image credits: all photographs by Brian Klinkenberg.
NOTE: There is an error in the Tall Bugbane brochure on the SCCP website under the
“Habitat” section. The sentence “Three of the shrubs that occur most frequently near Tall
Bugbane include Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridum), Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa) and
salmonberry (Rubus parviflorus)” should read “…Oregon grape (Mahonia nervosa) and
salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis)”.