Aconitum koreanum
| Aconitum koreanum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Aconitum koreanum (common name: korean monk's hood)
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, though judging by the native range of the plant it should succeed outdoors in many parts of the country. 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.
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].
Range: E. Asia - Korea.
Habitat: Sparse shrub thickets, dry short grass meadows and on argillaceous and stony mountain slopes[8].
Edibility: Young leaves - cooked[9]. This report should be treated with great distrust due to the poisonous nature of the genus.
Medicinal: The root is used in Korea to treat chills in the legs and arms and articular pain[10]. The root contains a number of highly toxic alkaloids that can be carditoxic, causing hypotension and arrhythmia, unless they are first allowed to degrade, usually by drying the plant[10]. The root has been shown to be analgesic, cardiac tonic, uterine stimulant[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[3].
Also Known As: A. komarovii. Steinb.
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.
- ↑ Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea. World Health Organisation, 1998.