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Ranunculaceae
Monkshood
Aconitum napellus
Caution, danger, knighthood, dark misanthropy.
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Genus
- Aconitum
- Native to
- Western and central Europe
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- Herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 90–150 cm
- Sunlight
- Part shade
- Soil
- Rich, moist, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate to high
- Hardiness
- 3–7
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Also called wolfsbane — medieval Europeans tipped arrows and spears in its juice to hunt wolves and bears.
- Every part of the plant is extremely toxic; even handling fresh leaves with bare hands has caused poisoning. The roots are particularly deadly.
- It's the legendary werewolf-repellent plant of folklore, said to protect against shapeshifters and witches.
- The Greek myth says it sprang from the saliva of Cerberus, the three-headed dog, when Heracles dragged him out of the underworld.
- Despite its lethal reputation, it's a stunning back-of-border perennial whose hooded indigo flowers bloom when most others are fading in late summer.
Color meanings
Purple
Beware of a foe