The monkshood has received a wide variety of trivial names over the centuries, which often refer to the peculiar shape of the flower. After all, the individual flowers look almost like a knight's helmet.
As the name suggests, the flower of the aconite is vaguely reminiscent of small hats
See monkshood blossom in your own garden
The following trivial names are just a few examples of the many trivial names given to monkshood in different regions:
- Isenhutlein
- fishing kip
- cap flowers
- paper cap
- Balaclava
- monk cap
The wild form of monkshood (Aconitum napellus) still grows on many mountain slopes in the Alps and the German low mountain ranges, as it appreciates cool and evenly moist locations. If you also sow the aconite in your garden in a place with as much loamy soil as possible, you can look forward to persistent flowering from July to September or later, depending on the subspecies.
Important tips for using as a cut flower
The cultivars of monkshood often have more individual flowers on each stem than the wild form. Since all parts of the monkshood are highly toxic, they should only be touched with gloves. Setting up a cut flower in a vase on the dining table is not recommended, as this has already caused accidents with parts of the flower being accidentally eaten. In general, this extremely poisonous ornamental plant should only be placed in households without children or pets, where all residents are aware of the danger of this nevertheless beautiful flowering plant. The flowers should be cut when about 30% of the individual flowers are open.
tips
Although monkshood is also used as a medicinal remedy, it is strongly discouraged to experiment with this plant yourself. Eating as little as 2 grams of the root can lead to severe symptoms of poisoning and death.