Now I don't know what to do with it, since I've never grown monkshood - so do I put it in sun or part-sun, and can it tolerate semi-dry soil or is it a moisture-lover?

Thanks!

And none of the neighborhood children are in the habit of eating my plants :)

The soil is periodically upgraded and we pay attention to watering the whole garden, as needed. I'm assuming the (swamp) cedar hedge takes a lot of water.

I plant monkshood at the back or in the middle of mixed perennial beds (to get it away from children and pets), to which end it is convenient that many attractive monkshood cultivars are quite tall.

The fall monkshood (Arendsii Group) are not in bloom here yet.
Below fall monkshood (October 28, 2011).

Have grown a clump of common monkshood (Aconitum napellus) in full sun (was a sprinkler system) for ten years.

Below, 'Spark's Variety' (August 13, 21012)
The only problem is that its excessive height makes it difficult to stake.

About 2/3 of the plants in the garden are toxic to some extent including azalea leaves, foxglove, leaves of all of the prunus (cherry, plum etc.,) tomato leaves, leaves of bleeding heart, stems of daffodils. The list could go on and on.

The key with all of these is that they also taste terrible, usually very bitter. Unless someone was starving, putting a single bite in their mouth would result in spitting it out. And a single bite is not going to kill someone, especially a teenage size person.

I do still think it wise to be cautious with very poisonous plants like monkshood.

On one occasion, I stopped a housekeeper from using (apparently kitchen) scissors to cut common monkshood for a kitchen bouquet. Of course, some monkshood is used for cut flowers. And this is obviously not the same as the classic of mistaking monkshood root for horseradish.

Very different situation: Murder by monkshood (recent):
A former mistress was charged in London, England, in January 2010 with poisoning her former lover and his fiancé with (Indian) monkshood in their food. The lover died, but quick extreme medical intervention did save the fiancé who hadn't ingested so much.

There is a lot of intriguing info on this site besides the Aconitum! It's not weird that I read up on poisonous plants is it?? ;-] Lol
CMK

Moving on, I'm clicking and learning about poisonous and not-so-poisonous plants. All good stuff, and well-written too.

And then the entry for prickly lettuce:
"Hildegard of Bingen calls prickly lettuce a useless plant and says anyone who eats it will become mindless. She says the related wild lettuce is useful for suppressing desire. A man with excessive lust should cook the lettuce in water and use the water to pour over himself in a sauna whilst having the cooked lettuce wrapped around his loins. Having the genitals wrapped in any sort of limp wet leaves might be expected to reduce desire."

OMG that is funny. Good thing I work at home rather than in a crowded office because there was a definite giggle-factor there.

Sorry for the thread drift, in an immature direction to boot! But it's snowing out and I can't garden, so I may as well be entertained in other ways! :)

Thanks for the link Christin!

Accidental deaths, homicides, warfare (poisoned weapons) and suicides; the history of monkshood's got it all.

Still long-lived and hardy perennials with various blues, plus blue in fall, the monkshoods have a lot to offer perennial gardeners (at least here).

No wonder why you are having fun reading about genitals being wrapped in wet greens. I'd need a distraction from snow at this time too, lol!

:)
Dee

So many people worry about pets eating poisonous plants but I think they instinctively know what to avoid. If not, they get sick and avoid it in the future.

Never mind him -- seeing a nekkid man with his genitals wrapped in lettuce leaves is definitely going to kill MY desire LOL!

My garden pleases & satisfies me as well as the bees, butterflies, hummingbirds & folks walking past. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As for monkshood, I too have avoided it and hellebores due to their poisonous properties. Then again, last summer just as I finished planting a new row of daylilies, I learned those are toxic to cats. It's nearly impossible to avoid anything poisonous, so we all find our own comfort level.

I currently have 7 cats - outdoor/indoor and they munch only on things they need in their diet. My yard is full of poisonous stuff and they simply leave those things alone. I have plenty of lilies and the cats and dogs don't munch on them.

To my knowledge, the great danger of lilies to cats is ingestion of the pollen, which destroys their kidney function.

Apparently, ingestion of the pollen from something like an easter lily, that a cat brushes up against (viz. then cleans itself), requires very prompt veterinary attention or (may?) result(s) in a quick and painful death to the cat.

-Karin, glad you enjoyed the link.

LOL. 'Lettuce wrapped loins' ...don't fancy restaurants sell that for $29.99?? ;-P
CMK

Me too SB. Mine take even extra time to come into bloom as they are located in quite significant shade. But it does give me something to look forward to.

Me too SB. Mine take even extra time to come into bloom as they are located in quite significant shade. But it does give me something to look forward to.