In the meantime, in addition to the wild varieties of monkshood, many new breeds for the private garden with different flower colors are also available. With a bit of luck, you can also discover natural occurrences of this fascinating plant during forays into nature.

In the wild, monkshood grows in damp, cool locations

The usual locations of the monkshood and their location conditions

Monkshood generally likes it relatively cool and damp, it does not tolerate drying out of the soil at its location. Since aconite prefers to colonize humus and nutrient-rich soils, it is also considered an indicator plant for locations with nitrogenous soils. Common places where monkshood occurs in nature are:

  • mountainsides
  • creek bank
  • source corridors
  • floodplain forests
  • swamp forests

At these locations, a continuous supply of moisture is usually ensured. Monkshood also prefers loamy soils. While some varieties of monkshood prefer sunny to partially shaded locations, other representatives of this plant genus also tolerate full shade.

The endangerment of the natural occurrence of monkshood

There are several reasons why monkshood is not as widespread in nature today as it used to be. For example, one reason is that it is a plant with extremely poisonous leaves, roots and seeds. Since this can also kill grazing cattle, the monkshood is not exactly a welcome guest on fodder meadows in agriculture. In addition, more and more of the monkshood's natural sites, such as alluvial forests and stream banks, are being destroyed by regulating construction and settlement. On regularly mowed roadsides, tall shrubs such as the monkshood (Aconitum napellus), which grows to a height of around 1.50 m, do not ripen their seeds.

Attention species protection: Obtain the monkshood from the specialist trade

Due to its relatively limited occurrence in nature, monkshood is protected in various countries. That's why you should use seeds from specialist shops for sowing in your garden. With the varieties on offer, you not only have a larger selection of colors, but also inflorescences usually consisting of even more individual flowers.

tips

You should refrain from cutting off the imposing monkshood blossoms for use in a bouquet on a mountain hike or a walk through the meadow landscape, not only for species protection reasons: the toxic aconitine can cause numbness and an unpleasant burning sensation just by touching the plant.

Category:

Vegetable garden