# Aconite (*Aconitum napellus*)

Aconite, also known as monkshood, is a beautiful flower with hood-shaped petals. It blooms in shades of blue, purple, and white, adding color to shady gardens.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 5/5 · Extreme
- **Habitat:** Forests
- **Also known as:** Monkshood

![Aconite](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Aconitum_napellus_230705.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Bernd Haynold, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aconitum_napellus_230705.jpg)

## Appearance

The Aconite has striking deep blue to purplish flowers, uniquely shaped like a monk's hood or helmet. These tall, upright plants feature dark green, deeply lobed leaves, creating a dramatic, elegant appearance in gardens and woodlands.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ranunculales
- **Family:** Ranunculaceae
- **Genus:** Aconitum

## Interesting facts

- Ancient people believed it could protect against werewolves and evil spirits!
- Even touching the sap can cause skin irritation or worse effects!
- Its striking flowers are often called "monk's hood" or "wolfsbane"!
- This plant produces some of the fastest-acting and most potent natural poisons.

## Special abilities

- **Potent Protector:** Aconite can produce powerful toxins in its roots and leaves, which helps it strongly deter most hungry herbivores.
- **Guided Pollinator:** Aconite has unique helmet-shaped flowers that guide specific long-tongued insects like bumblebees directly to its nectar.
- **Cold Resilient:** Aconite thrives in cool, damp, mountainous regions, allowing it to survive and bloom even in challenging, colder environments.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-150 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Deadly
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Specialized bees fit its unique flower shape and access nectar.
- **Pollinates:** Common carder bee (*Bombus pascuorum*) — Another key pollinator, vital for the plant's reproduction in its habitat.
- **Shelter:** [European Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-beech) (*Fagus sylvatica*) — Often thrives in the dappled shade beneath broadleaf trees like this.

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Night Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/night-blooming): Night blooming plants open their flowers after sunset, often to attract nocturnal pollinators with their scent and appearance.
- [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Toxic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/toxic): Toxic organisms contain substances that are poisonous and can cause adverse effects upon exposure.
- [Poisonous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/poisonous): Poisonous organisms produce toxins that can cause harm when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through contact.

## Collections

- [Flowers](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/flowers)
- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 5/5 · Extreme

Never touch or ingest any part of the aconite plant as it is extremely poisonous.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Aconite?

Count the petals where you can, then compare the flower's center, its symmetry, how the blooms are grouped and the leaves below. Color varies between garden varieties and shifts with the light. Flower Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Aconite?

100-150 cm

### How wide does Aconite spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Aconite?

2-4 cm

### When does Aconite bloom?

Late summer to fall

### Is Aconite edible?

No

### Is Aconite toxic?

Deadly

### What is Aconite's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Aconite: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/aconite)