About
Aconitum carmichaelii (Arendsii Group) 'Arendsii' is a robust perennial that can grow more than 1.5 meters in height. It features branched clusters of deep lavender-blue blooms that emerge in early to mid-autumn. The plant is supported by dark green, leathery leaves that are either palmate or deeply lobed.
About the genus
Aconitum consists of herbaceous perennials or biennials characterized by lobed foliage and clusters of hooded flowers arranged in racemes or panicles.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam, Chalk, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- North-facing, East-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Architectural, Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
- Toxicity
- TOXIC if eaten, avoid skin contact. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: TOXIC if eaten, avoid skin contact - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grows best in deep, cool, moisture-retentive soil in partial shade, but will also tolerate most soils and full sun if soil is humus-rich and protected with mulch to ensure that it is moist throughout the growing season; use protective gloves Staking may be necessary. See staking perennials for further advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required except cutting back dead stems; use protective gloves
- Propagation
- Propagate by division in autumn or late winter; division every few years may encourage good flowering stems, though plants may be slow to re-establish; use protective gloves, all parts are highly toxic
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to fungal stem rot and Verticillium wilt