Columbian monkshood
Aconitum columbianum
Family: Ranunculaceae
What it is like
Aconitum columbianum is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.2
Where it is found
Moist woods to sub-alpine meadows, mostly along streams. Spring-fed bogs, seep areas, meadows, along streams, and in other wet areas at elevations of 300 - 3500 metres.
North-western N. America - Alaska to California.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 1
The drug 'aconite' can be obtained from the root of this plant. It is used as a heart and nerve sedative. This is a very poisonous plant and should only be used with extreme caution and under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
Nervine: Stimulates and calms the nerves.
Parasiticide: Treats external parasites such as ringworm This should perhaps be joined with Parasiticide in
Sedative: Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
Other
Rating:
The seed is used as a parasiticide.
Parasiticide: Kills external body parasites such as hair lice.
How it is grown
Thrives in most soils and in the light shade of trees. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a moist soil in sun or semi-shade. Prefers a calcareous soil. Grows well in open woodlands. Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits and deer. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby species, especially legumes. Closely related to A. fischeri and part of that species according to some botanists. A very variable plant, there is also a sub-species (A. columbianum viviparum) that produces bulbils in the leaf axils.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be stratified and sown in spring but will then be slow to germinate. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. Division - best done in spring but it can also be done in autumn. Another report says that division is best carried out in the autumn or late winter because the plants come into growth very early in the year. One to several small daughter tubers are produced at the first few nodes above the parent tuber, usually below ground, in a small percentage of the plants in bulbiferous and nonbulbiferous populations. These can be removed and potted up to produce new plants. Bulbils are produced in the leaf axils of sub-species viviparum. These are an effective means of vegetative reproduction. They fall to the ground late in the season and sprout vigorously, giving rise to new plants.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 0-0
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
The whole plant is highly toxic - simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people. The roots and seeds are the most toxic and also the leaves just before the plant flowers. Available information suggests that Aconitum columbianum is probably not one of the extremely toxic aconites.