Growing Monkshood can be difficult

dgoldenberg49 · October 2020

hi I’m in Pennsylvania and have a large woodland garden with a purple and blue flowered theme. I’ve successfully growing multiple varieties of Monkshood ( Aconitum) but have had just as much failure. Unable to grow from seed regardless of stratification regiment, winter sowing etc.. and 50% of my planted Monkshood plants either disappear without a trace or die. I’m not sure why some do so well and others not. My goal is to have different varieties so that they don’t all bloom at one in the fall.

thanks

David

Lizzie27 · October 2020

Hello @dgoldenberg49, welcome to the forum.

I'm not sure we'll be able to help much though as this is mainly an English forum and our weather and soil conditions won't be the same as yours.

You are aware I hope, that aconitums can be highly poisonous, especially the roots, so please be careful and wear gloves when handling them. Keep children well away from them, also dogs if they chew plants.

dgoldenberg49 · October 2020

Thank you. I do understand that this is a British forum and about the toxicity of this particular plant. That being said, my climate is temperate and this species should ( and does ) grow well in my climate. The British forums appear to be more familiar with this species than we do in the USA. It’s just very erratic and the “disappearing plants” Are strange.

My daughter in law is from Moscow and she told me that they had Monkshood in their that disappears for years only to return ( ephemeral?)

Liriodendron · October 2020

Mine were ravaged by slugs and finally gave up the struggle...

punkdoc · October 2020

In my experience, they need dividing regularly and this should probably be done in the fall, as they start into growth again very early in the new year.

rachelQrtJHBjb · October 2020

I find mine are transient but then appear elsewhere within the same border. I have been unable to successfully grow Aconitum 'Ivorine' but Aconitum carmichaelii 'Arendsii' is the one that persists. In terms of weather, we are in the South East of the UK. Winter lows are around -10 and summer highs (this summer) over 35 degrees. The seasons are changing but, historically, we would have expected under 40" rainfall per annum. We tend to have wetter winters now, with summers being hotter and drier.

I know it's not the same but I have enormous success with Campanula trachelium, which pops up everywhere - it has even jumped borders that are 6m apart - and has beautiful blue flowers. It will flower earlier than the aconitum but if it's a blue and purple theme you're after it may work for you.

Skandi · October 2020

We used to grow it in the bog garden in southern England, it loved it there. Here my last house had some growing in half shade along a ditch so I'm thinking it really likes wet feet.

Lyn · October 2020

Difficult to say why you can’t grow them, I’ve got white, early flowering and this blue one in flower now. I’ve grown some from seed, no special treatment, I do have acid soil and they’re all grown in full sun.

Posy · October 2020

Lyn's comment has just thrown me completely! I have alkaline soil and grow them in quite deep shade! Mine were grown from seed given to me by a neighbour, no stratification or fuss, just into a pot in the greenhouse. They have been there for ten or fifteen years and spread VERY slowly. They do self seed a little. The only thing I can think of is that the soil is always moist.