Aconitum columbianum
| Aconitum columbianum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Aconitum columbianum
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: 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.
Grows well in open woodlands[3][6].
Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits and deer[4].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby species, especially legumes[7].
Closely related to A. fischeri and part of that species according to some botanists[3].
Polymorphic[8].
Range: North-western N. America - Alaska to California.
Habitat: Moist woods to sub-alpine meadows, mostly along streams[8].
Medicinal: The drug 'aconite' can be obtained from the root of this plant[9]. It is used as a heart and nerve sedative[9]. This is a very poisonous plant and should only be used with extreme caution and under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.
Usage: The seed is used as a parasiticide[10].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: The whole plant is highly toxic - simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people. The roots and seeds are the most toxic and also the leaves just before the plant flowers[9].
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 Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Davis, Ray and Frank Craighead. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers. The Riverside Press, 1963.
- ↑ Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.