Stately plants demanding a deep moist soil, shade and ample feeding. Long-lived eventually forming clumps of pleated leaves which must be guarded from slugs and snails. Sturdy vertical stems bear numerous spikes of individually small star shaped flowers. The seed heads are an attractive feature well into the autumn. All parts are toxic if eaten; foliage and sap may cause a skin allergy in some people.
The flowers of Veratrum are visited by a range of potential pollinators, including solitary bees and soldier-beetles, while the leaves (despite their renowned toxins) are thought to support the larvae of some generalist moths.