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Aconitum napellus - L.
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Common Name
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Aconite
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Family
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Ranunculaceae
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Synonyms
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Known Hazards
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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 and diarrhoea. Simple skin contact with the plant has caused numbness in some people[4, 7, 9, 10, 14, 19, 65, 76, 244]. The root contains 90% more poison than the leaves[232].
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Habitats
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Damp shady places and moist rich meadows in southern Wales and south-western England[7, 13, 31, 165, 176]. It is usually found in calcareous soils[9].
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Range
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Most of Europe, including Britain, east to N. W. Asia and the Himalayas.
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Edibility Rating
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Medicinal Rating
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Care
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Physical Characteristics
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Aconitum napellus is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in).
It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf 10-Feb It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen from Jun to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ies |
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Habitats
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Woodland Garden Dappled Shade;
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Edible Uses
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Some reports suggest the root is edible if cooked[2, 177], but these should be treated with extreme caution due to the highly toxic nature of the plant[K].
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Medicinal Uses
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Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Analgesic; Anodyne; Antirheumatic; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Febrifuge; Homeopathy; Irritant; Sedative.
Aconite has been used since ancient times, especially as an antidote to poisoning[244]. Since the entire plant is itself very toxic, however, any use should be under the guidance of a skilled practitioner[4]. 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[4]. The other parts of the plant are less important and are used fresh, being harvested when the plant is coming into flower[4]. The root is analgesic, anodyne, antirheumatic, diaphoretic, diuretic, irritant and sedative[4, 7, 9, 165, 200]. Due to its poisonous nature, it is not normally used internally though it has been used in the treatment of fevers[200]. Externally, it is applied to unbroken skin in the treatment of rheumatism, painful bruises, neuralgia etc[200, 254]. All parts of the plant, except the root, are harvested when the plant is in flower and used to make a homeopathic medicine[232]. This is analgesic and sedative and is used especially in the treatment of fevers, inflammation, bronchitis, neuralgia etc[9, 232].
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Cultivation details
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Thrives in most soils and in the light shade of trees[1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a moist soil in sun or semi-shade[200]. Plants only thrive in a sunny position if the soil remains moist throughout the growing season[238]. 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[244]. Grows well in open woodlands[1, 4]. The flowers are very attractive to bees[244]. Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits and deer[233]. 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[4]. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby species, especially legumes[54]. An aggregate species which is divided by some botanists into many species[17, 76].
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Propagation
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Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[111]. The seed can be stratified and sown in spring but will then be slow to germinate[133]. 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[1, 111]. 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[233].
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 You can download this page as a PDF
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Botanical References
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17200
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Links / References
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[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
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[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
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Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
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[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.
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Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
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[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
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Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
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[7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.
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Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
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[9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.
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Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
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[13]Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants.
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Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
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[17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles.
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A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
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[31]Brown. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.
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[54]Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds.
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Interesting reading.
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[76]Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man.
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Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.
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[111]Sanders. T. W. Popular Hardy Perennials.
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A fairly wide range of perennial plants that can be grown in Britain and how to grow them.
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[133]Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1.
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Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
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[165]Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
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An excellent small herbal.
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[176]Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas.
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An excellent Chinese herbal giving information on over 500 species. Rather technical and probably best suited to the more accomplished user of herbs.
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[177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.
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An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
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[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
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Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
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[232]Castro. M. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook.
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A concise beginner's guide to the subject. Very readable.
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[233]Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
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A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
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[238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
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A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
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[244]Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs
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Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.
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[254]Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
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An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
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Subject : Aconitum napellus
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