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SPECIES. The common Monkshood (Aconitum Napellus) has large, dark blue flowers and grows 5 feet to 6 feet high. A variety of this one has white flowers with flesh-colored edges and another has decided pink markings on it. A bicolor one has white and blue flowers. Wolfsbane (A. Lycoctonum) blooms in June and July, is 4 feet high and has soft yellow flowers. 'A. Wilsonii' blooms in September with spikes of pale blue flowers growing 6 feet tall. 'A. Fischeri' is the last one to bloom. It is only 3 feet tall, has pale blue flowers and blooms in October.
Propagation is a rather slow process to raise them from seed since it takes twenty days for the seed to germinate. However, they are easily propagated by division of the roots. They grow best when left undisturbed for years.
Entries and Updates
Mar 21, 2006
This cultivar is among the earliest to begin growing, continuing all summer with spikes often reaching 5-6'. It is late blooming here at the end of September into early October. Shown here are young leaves growing through mulch in March.
May 18, 2006
Shown here is a planting of Monk's Hood illustrating its vigorous growth habit. By late summer these stems will have reached 30-40" in height, and will begin to develop flower buds by that time. Bloom will begin in mid-September throughout October.
Sep 30, 2006
A stem of flower buds in late September.
Oct 13, 2006
Finally (at long last) I can update this entry with a picture of Monk's Hood blooms. Blooms rarely open before October 1st, and this year they seemed to wait a little longer.
Oct 13, 2006
And yet a little closer look.
Oct 15, 2006
And a very close look after flowers had fully opened. The temperature dropped overnight to 28F and stayed there for most of early morning. This says a lot about the tough nature of this plant.
Oct 19, 2006
Flowers become more beautiful as they mature, and show more details. They seem to thrive on cold weather as we've had temperatures dropping to the upper 20'sF for several days- and even a little snow! Shown here on October 18, 2006.
