Aconitum kusnezoffii

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Aconitum kusnezoffii
Light:Full Sun Part Shade
Moisture:Mesic
Hardiness:6
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Height:5'
Blooms:Mid Summer-Early Fall
Open Woods Forest
Native to:
Medicinal Rating:
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Aconitum kusnezoffii (common name: bei wu tou)

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].

This species is closely related to A. yezoense[3].

A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby species, especially legumes[7].

Range: E. Asia - N. China, N. Japan in Kamtschatka, Korea and Siberia.

Habitat: Grassy slopes, grasslands, forests, forest margins, by streams at elevations of 2200 - 2400 metres[8].

Medicinal: The root is alterative, anaesthetic, antiarthritic, deobstruent, diaphoretic, diuretic, sedative and stimulant[9]. This is a very poisonous plant and should only be used with extreme caution and under the supervision of a qualified practitioner.

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].

Links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
  2. Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan, 1987.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
  5. Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  6. Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
  7. Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
  8. Flora of China. 1994.
  9. Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.