Aconitum balfourii
| Aconitum balfourii | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Aconitum balfourii
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. The seed can be stratified and sown in spring but will then be slow to germinate[2]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer.
Division - best done in spring but it can also be done in autumn[3][1]. Another report says that division is best carried out in the autumn or late winter because the plants come into growth very early in the year[4].
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Thrives in most soils and in the light shade of trees[3]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a moist soil in sun or semi-shade[5]. Prefers a calcareous soil.
Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits and deer[4].
Grows well in open woodlands[3][6].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby species, especially legumes[7].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas from Nepal to Tibet at an elevation of 2200 - 4000 metres.
Medicinal: The tuber is used in Tibetan medicine where it is considered to have an acrid and sweet taste with a heating potency - it is also very poisonous[8][9]. The root is analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic and vermifuge[8]. It dries up serous fluids and is used in the treatment of all types of pain and inflammation from gout or arthritis, all disorders due to worms or micro-organisms, amnesia, loss of bodily heat, leprosy and paralysis[8].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: The whole plant is highly toxic - simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people[3].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan, 1987.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Tsarong, Tsewang. Tibetan Medicinal Plants. Tibetan Medical Publications, 1994.
- ↑ Manandhar, N. Medicinal Plants of Nepal Himalaya. Department of Medicinal Plants, 1993.