At first it was thought to be an unknown species later the experts suggested that it was in fact one of those rare, naturally occurring hybrids that actually comes true from seed. One of the seedlings had gorgeous, wine red-burgundy blooms that were quite different than what was expected. In 1989, the Gothenberg Botanic Garden in Sweden received seeds from China for what was supposed to be A. ‘Red Wine’ is a cultivar that is believed to originate from this species. Officially it is hardy to about zone 4, but it has done well in both zones 2 and 3. It is resentful of dry soil, but otherwise trouble free. The flowers are a lovely blue and appear from mid summer through fall. It is quite easy to grow, and will climb 8-10 ft. This is one such species, hailing from central and western China. Historically, this species was used as an arrow poison.Īconitum hemsleyanum- Although most monkshoods grow in a tidy clump, a select few of them actually grow as slender, twining climbers. ![]() ‘Arendsii’ is a particularly compact, heavily blooming selection that has received the RHS award of merit. It is resentful of dry soil and competition, but other than that, it is hardy and worth growing. The flowers are a deep violet-blue to blue-purple and very showy. tall and blooms late summer and often into fall. ![]() fischeri) is native to Russia, China, and Japan. Seed production dramatically reduces their vigor.Īconitum carmichaelii ( A. This should only be done once every four or five years. They are difficult propagate from seed but established clumps are fairly easy to divide in spring or fall. Do not plant them in too shady a location or they will flower poorly and be more prone to powdery mildew. A sunny position with a bit of shade from the hottest part of the afternoon sun is ideal. Compost enriched, well drained soil with good moisture conditions suit them best, but they are extremely tough and can make do with much less. Monkshood is easy to grow, very hardy, and quite adaptable. The dusky colored flowers are quite showy and make great cut flowers, and they are also attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Monkshood has been cultivated for millennia, both as a poison and medicine (in very minute amounts), but also for its beauty. That said, they are also very much worth adding to your garden. Gardeners should be advised to wear gloves when handling monkshood. Monkshood is toxic and contains up to 11 known alkaloids in monkshood, most notably aconitine. They have palmate or palmately lobed leaves and as a result of their acute toxicity, they have practically no pest or disease problems. They called it “queen of poisons”.Īll of the monkshoods are herbaceous perennials, and they can live from 10-20 years or sometimes even longer. They have been mentioned by Shakespeare, JK Rowling, and were believed by the ancient Greeks to have sprung up from the slobber of Cerberus, the three headed dog that guarded the gates of Hell. They have been known for centuries as aconite and wolfsbane. This is a remarkably large genus, with somewhere between 250-300 species found throughout cold parts of the northern hemisphere, often at high elevations.
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