Aconitum fischeri ‘Monkshood’
Aconitum fischeri 'Monkshood'
The last plants to bloom in autumn are incredibly precious. In my garden, the brooding monkshood is the most mysterious of all the perennials. It arrives late, it stays until the weather gets unbearably cold, and then I forget about it until well into the following year when I wonder, "Where's that darn plant?"
My little plot of them is pretty sketchy, but when I saw this form, I decided to go all out and add a lot more. It's a spectacular shade plant, and next to Japanese hedge grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'), Cimicifuga 'Hillside Black Beauty' and Arum italicum it's a standout.
Aconitums are easy to grow and hardy to Zone 4, but keep in mind that the whole plant is poisonous, right down to the tough, bulbous roots. Do not let children get near them. Place them, without crowding, near the middle or back of a border, because the erect stems grow to a statuesque two metres. The foliage is a dark green on the top, pale green below. The cobalt blue of the inflorescences– the hooded flower – is outstanding.
It's the ideal shade plant because the blooms seem to have an almost luminous quality. Plant in autumn in moist humus-rich soil. If planted in the sun, it should never be allowed to dry out fully. Once it has finished blooming, cut out the old stems and you may get a second flush. Then add a good thick mulch. Divide in autumn if you are lucky enough to have lots of them.
If you are bothered by deer, the toxicity might repel them, making this a good plant to consider adding around the edges of your garden.
There are at least a hundred species of aconitum, and you could become a crazed collector quite easily. The colours range from a silky ecru to an eyeball-searing purple. Collecting one type of plant, even for a small garden, is something that can provide a theme, or be totally tasteless (I think of gardens jammed with one kind of a plant from the blobby hydrangeas to the massed impatiens). But it's almost impossible to go wrong with the strange and hypnotic quality of monkshood.
Find Aconitum fischeri 'Monkshood' at John's Garden in Uxbridge, Ont. (www.johnsgarden.com), where it retails for $12.50.