Aconitum ferox
| Aconitum ferox | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Early Fall |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Aconitum ferox
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].
The root of this plant is widely collected from the wild for medicinal use and is becoming much rarer in much of its range[7].
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[8].
Closely related to A. napellus[3].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat: Shrubberies and forest clearings, 2100 - 3600 metres from C. Nepal to Bhutan[9].
Medicinal: The dried root is alterative, anaesthetic, antiarthritic, deobstruent, diaphoretic, diuretic, sedative, stimulant[10]. It is best harvested in the autumn as soon as the plant dies down. This is a very poisonous plant and should only be used with extreme caution and under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. It has been used in India and Nepal in the treatment of neuralgia, leprosy, fevers, cholera and rheumatism[11][7]. When the roots are soaked in cow's urine, they become soft and lose their depressant action on the heart, becoming a stimulant instead[11].
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[3][9][5].
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 3.4 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.