Twining monkshood (Aconitum volubile)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −45.6 °C
Cultivation
Thrives in most soils and in the light shade of trees. Prefers a calcareous soil. There is some confusion over the naming of this species. A. volubilis comes from Altai in Mongolia, reports for A. volubile in Korea probably refer to A. neotortuosum. 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.
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Division - best done in spring but it can also be done in autumn.
Edible uses
Young leaves - dried and cooked. This report should be treated with great distrust due to the poisonous nature of the genus[K].
Medicinal uses
The dried root is anaesthetic. This is a very poisonous plant and should only be used with extreme caution and under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
Habitat
Thickets in the sub-alpine zone to 4000 metres.
Native range
E. Asia - W. China, Korea, Mongolia.
Same genus
- Aconite (Aconitum napellus)
- Yellow monkshood (Aconitum anthora)
- Columbian monkshood (Aconitum columbianum)
- Larkspurleaf monkshood (Aconitum delphiniifolium)
- Monkshood (Aconitum lycoctonum)
- Kamchatka aconite (Aconitum maximum)
- Northern blue monkshood (Aconitum noveboracense)
- Southern blue monkshood (Aconitum uncinatum)