Plants for a Plant Zoo: Wolfsbane (Aconitum napellus)
Karen Wolfbane has a long a interesting history. According to legend aconite grew on the hill where Hercules fought Cerberus, the three headed dog that guarded the underworld. The dog’s spittle…
Plant Profile: Common Monkshood (Aconitum napellus)
Also called wolfsbane and helmet flower, this herbaceous perennial is a member of the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, that also includes columbine, hellebore, and delphinium. It is native and endemic to…
Shakespeare’s Garden: Aconitum
Also known as wolfsbane and monkshood, Shakespeare’s Aconitum is probably the perennial A. napellus, one of 100 species of Aconitum, a genus in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. A. nepallus is…
Garden Plants for Flower Arranging: Wolfsbane (Aconitum lycoctonum)
A native of southern Europe, this herbaceous perennial grows in mountain woods and meadows, often near streams, in moist peaty soils. Although there is a purple flowered variety, the primrose…
Aconitums (Monkshoods) for the Garden
A member of the buttercup family, this genus includes over 250 species and is known by many names including monkshood,wolfsbane, and devil’s helmet. These common names refer to the fact…