I have 'James Compton' as well and totally agree with you. Very shy flowering in my Dutch garden. I have the plant about 10 years and most years it doesn't flower. Mine is in full sun on humus rich sandy soil. I water it in dry summers to prevent the leafs becoming shrivelled. If you want flowers don't plant 'James Compton'. I prefer good old reliable 'Brunette'.

I have grown the species racemosa for years and it will be perfect for your woodland garden. Mine is backed by forest but still gets morning sun and some root competition from mature trees. Since they do not have the dark foliage they can take more shade.

I agree that 'Brunette' is terrific as well as 'Hillside Black Beauty' which I find virtually the same. I got 'Pink Spike', it flowered white but I like these plants so much I was not terribly disappointed. The varieties with dark foliage need more sun to retain good color. Moisture retentive soil will keep the foliage pristine all season.

I have straight species and 'Brunette'. They both get leaves 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall. I've never seen the green one bloom, but 'Brunette' blooms at 4-5' tall. I love the flowers as do the pollinators, but the scent isn't such that I would want it near an open window.

There are some really tall Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum) that might work for you. Also look into some of the Viburnum shrubs, some of which do fine in shade though need a fair amount of space. I have Viburnum plicatum 'Popcorn' and V. p 'Mariesii' as well as two natives, V. acerifolium and V. cassinoides Since I have all these growing in the woods, they must be OK with some root competition and shade.

Thank you!

Gardenprince, it’s interesting that your James Compton is in full sun and
doesn’t flower, whereas mine is in full to dappled shade and doesn’t flower. I
may move the one that is in the woodland garden. The leaves are pretty but
since it never achieves any height, I can’t see it there. I’ll plug one of the new
species racemosa into its spot.

Peren.all, NHBabs, what kind of spread does your species racemosa have? I’m
staking out locations. They are coming bare root next week.

I’ll have to see how Black Negligee does this year. It was a costly impulse purchase
at a local nursery with high prices. It was a large specimen, though. Of course now I want it to justify my faith. The
flowers did not smell bad, though: quite the opposite.

I’ll have to keep my eyes open for Brunette or Hillside Black Beauty.

My species is probably about 3' across. I'm fussy about scents and have learned that just because a plant is scented doesn't mean I want to grow it for the scent, though there are some I grow despite the scent. I like the scents of rose, peony, and lavender and spicy scents like spicebush and some of the citrus scented geraniums and most culinary herbs, but there are quite a few I don't find appealing, so you should probably take peren.all's recommendations on scent over mine.

A pic from yesterday of the new leaves of Cimicifuga 'James Compton':

'Pink Spike' probably has that name for commercial reasons. I've seen it in a friend's garden and does not differ that much from other dark leaved cultivars. Not a bad plant but if you read the words 'pink spike' you expect to get a plant with pink and not white spikes ;)

I really love the scent of Cimicifuga (still refuse to call them Actaea). Wish I could bottle it!

Glad to know
the ultimate size of the species racemosa. I will have to
rearrange my plans….better now than later. When I am planting a bareroot
sometimes it’s hard to visualize. They are due on Tuesday.

The far end of the beds have the most room for spread. I
just moved two standard goatbeards there, from the center where they were too
tall. I think I’ll put 2 of the racemosa next to them, and center the third
where I take out the old James Compton. I’ll move the latter to a sunnier spot,
maybe it will do something.