Monkshood Plant

Monkshood Plant is a perennial shade loving plant which can be also called turk's cap, wolf's bane and friar's cap. It is popular among gardeners for a a few reasons, first of all because of its beautiful flowers, and also thanks to its resistance to most of the possible diseases.

This plant blooms from July to the end of autumn. The colors of its flowers ranges from blue to pink to white, and it blooms continuously for two months, bringing the touch of color, brightness and joy to your garden. The flowers look especially beautiful in combination with deeply cut green leaves.

How to Grow Monkshood

Monkshood plant prefers to grow in sunny locations, or at least in places with light shade. It will not be impossible for Monkshood to grow in the shade, but the flowers would be not that showy. Monkshood plants require at least five or better six hours of full sunlight daily.

A soil should be rich, with an added organic matter to make the plants sturdy and ensure sufficient amount of nutrients and water.

Monkshood is originated in a woodland environment, where it grows as an edger, getting enough morning and afternoon sunlight and constant moisture of soil.

These conditions are necessary for Monkshood to bloom, that is why you should do your best to replicate them, at least partially, in your garden.

Try to prevent the soil in the garden to dry out completely, otherwise the plants will not demonstrate their potential and beauty for the fullest.

Would be nice to add leaf litter to the soil, especially if it is a clay soil, it will serve the same purpose – emulating this plant's natural environment.

Maintaining Monkshood Plant

The plant is not capricious and, as I mentioned above, is quite resistant to the diseases and insects. That is why plant in a right place, follow the general instructions about fertilizing and watering, and enjoy the blooms for two months and more!

After the blooms are over, cut the stalks to the level of the ground and prevent the plant from seeding. This way you will get one more set of flowers later on.

Warnings

This plant is toxic – all its parts are poisonous, that it why avoid consuming them. Even dry Monkshood can be potentially dangerous if eaten.

If you have little children and pets, make sure the plants are out of their reach. Other than that, Monkshood is rather safe to grow, and you should not deprive yourself of pleasure to have it in your garden.

Varieties

There are lots of varieties of this plant available, and you can choose the most appropriate for growing in your garden, according to your personal preferences.

If you enjoy blue flowers, it is recommended to go for ‘Blue Sceptre’. In you prefer deep purple ones, it is better to choose ‘Bressingham Spire’ . ‘Bicolor’ will cheer you up with its lovely blue and white bloom.

The latest hybrid of Aconitum (Monkshood) plant is ‘Pink Sensation’ -- with exquisitely beautiful pink and lavender flowers and soft touch.

It is very well adapted for growing in the gardens. In any case, no matter which option you choose, you garden will look lively and cheerful with the blooming Monkshood plants in it, and you will spend a lot of pleasant moments in summer evenings enjoying their beauty and freshness.

Summary

Monkshood also known by aconitum, turk's cap, friar's cap and wolf's bane. This shade lover is about as disease resistant as you'll find in a perennial.

They bloom from midsummer to late fall in colors of blue, pink or white. What makes this gardening shade flower so delightful are the lasting blooms, 2 months!

Their height is between 3 to 4 feet, and a spread of 1 to 3 feet. An other great feature are the deeply cut, dark green leaves. The foliage is a real plus for your shade garden.

Humus rich, moist soil and well drained, for these shade tolerant flowers. Adding compost, leaf mold, and peat moss to aid in feeding the plant, as well as providing good drainage while keeping the soil moist.

Propagate by division in Fall or early Spring. Be advised they don't take well to being disturbed, however if they become over crowded it will be a necessary challenge. The reason is brittle roots. A little TLC will get you through just fine.

There are many species, around 100, so have fun locating the right one for your garden. Lots of rich compost, keep them moist and you'll be on your way to a colorful shade garden.

Photos of Monkshood Plant

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