Aconitum napellus
| Aconitum napellus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Aconitum napellus (common name: aconite)
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]. Plants only thrive in a sunny position if the soil remains moist throughout the growing season[6]. Prefers a calcareous soil. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.5 to 7.5.
Plants take 2 - 3 years to flower when grown from seed[7].
Grows well in open woodlands[3][8].
The flowers are very attractive to bees[7].
Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits and deer[4].
Although the plant is a perennial, individual roots only live for one year and die after flowering. Each root produces a number of 'daughter' roots before it dies and these can be used for propagating the plant[8].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby species, especially legumes[9].
An aggregate species which is divided by some botanists into many species[10][11].
Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, east to N. W. Asia and the Himalayas.
Habitat: Damp shady places and moist rich meadows in southern Wales and south-western England[12][13][14][15][16]. It is usually found in calcareous soils[17].
Edibility: Some reports suggest the root is edible if cooked[18][19], but these should be treated with extreme caution due to the highly toxic nature of the plant[K].
Medicinal: Aconite has been used since ancient times, especially as an antidote to poisoning[7]. Since the entire plant is itself very toxic, however, any use should be under the guidance of a skilled practitioner[8]. All parts of the plant are used medicinally. The root is the most important and this is harvested as soon as the plant dies down in the autumn and is dried before use[8]. The other parts of the plant are less important and are used fresh, being harvested when the plant is coming into flower[8].
The root is analgesic, anodyne, antirheumatic, diaphoretic, diuretic, irritant and sedative[8][12][17][15][5]. Due to its poisonous nature, it is not normally used internally though it has been used in the treatment of fevers[5]. Externally, it is applied to unbroken skin in the treatment of rheumatism, painful bruises, neuralgia etc[5][20].
All parts of the plant, except the root, are harvested when the plant is in flower and used to make a homeopathic medicine[21]. This is analgesic and sedative and is used especially in the treatment of fevers, inflammation, bronchitis, neuralgia etc[17][21].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
In Leaf: Late Winter-Mid Fall
Seed Ripens: Early Summer-Mid Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: The whole plant is highly toxic, acting especially on the nerve centres. At first it stimulates the central and peripheral nervous system and then paralyzes it. Other symptoms of poisoning include a burning sensation on the tongue, vomiting, stomach pain
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 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 5.2 5.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Phillips, Roger. Herbs. Pan Books, 1990.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Brown, George. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Castro, Miranda. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. Macmillan, 1990.