Monkshood

8 years ago

Hard to find monkshood around here later in the season, so snatched up some really nice-looking specimens yesterday (really good price, too!). These are the monkshood 'arendsii' (aconitum carmichaelii). My question is how tall do the foliage clumps get? I need to figure out placement, and the foliage gets similar height as the flower stalks (3-4 feet), I need to do a little re-arranging, which is fine. I have a good ready-to-go spot to plop them if the foliage stays shorter.

Featured Answer

debbiecz3

8 years ago

My clump of Arendsii grows to 4-6 feet tall. I love how sturdy the foliage is, unlike Bicolor Aconitum, another monkshood I grow that is floppy and needs support. Like Sunnyborders says, most of the flowering is at the tops of the stems. It does bloom very late, the absolute last plant blooming in my garden. Sometimes it is blooming in the snow if winter comes early! Here is a closeup shot of the bloom Oct 17 of last year.

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Comments (6)

sunnyborders
8 years ago
Foliage clumps: Paghat's says that Arend's monkshood produces flower buds all along the stem, with full flowering starting at the top. Still, I only notice the top blooming with ours.

I find it necessary to replant our Arend's monkshood every three or four years to maintain it's overall height and looks (perhaps because of competition from the cedar hedge behind). This is last October 14 2017 and it's due for replanting with good soil this year. The plant blooms from October into November.

Our Arend's monkshood has never had tall flower spikes. Overall, most of the plant, in flower, has been foliage.
porkchop_z5b_MI
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Pic is very helpful - I'll have to locate behind some other short, full perennials to hide those ugly ankles.
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User
8 years ago
All of my aconitums seem to hover around 5 feet...even in the dry soil of my wood. It is taking a while to get carmichaeli and napellus (my late summer ones), integrated with Anemone 'Honorine Jobart' (which is harder to establish in dry soil than, surprisingly, the aconitums)..but worth the wait. Think shade does encourage them to stretch.
LaLennoxa 6a/b Hamilton ON
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
My aconitum is in partial shade and it is nowhere near as leggy as the ones shown by sunnyborders. I originally got it at what would come to be my favourite plant sale, so I have fond memories. It’s one of the first things to appear in the spring, and the last thing to flower. I love it!
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
8 years ago
It’s one of the first things to appear in the spring, and the last thing flower. I love it!

Me too! Me too!

(A few years ago I tore out my last stand of Monkshood as I got paranoid about its toxic properties. But when I came to my senses I have since planted probably...5 or is it 6 plants?)