Leaf
Florent Beck, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Monkshood
Aconitum napellus L.
Also known as: Monk's-hood, Aconite, Wolfsbane
Family: Ranunculaceae
80 cm to 1.5 m tall
Borders, cool gardens, rich, damp soils
Flowering: June – September
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
One of the most toxic plants in Europe — the whole plant, especially its roots, is fatal if ingested.
🍃 Leaves
Deeply cut into narrow lobes, dark green
🌸 Flowers
Upright spikes of blue-violet hooded flowers
🍎 Fruits
Clustered follicles
🪵 Bark
Perennial with upright stems, growing from tuberous roots.
🗺️ Distribution
Mountains of Europe (Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Central); wild in damp mountain meadows, grown in lowland gardens.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Blue-violet hooded flowers pollinated mainly by bumblebees, the only insects strong enough to open the corolla.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Back of a cool, shaded border; to be handled with gloves because of its high toxicity.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Extremely toxic in all parts, especially the roots and seeds; contains aconitine, causing severe cardiac and neurological disorders on ingestion or even prolonged skin contact.
🌿 Other Ranunculaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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