About
Aconitum 'Stainless Steel' is a clump-forming perennial that reaches heights of 1 to 1.2 meters. It features deeply divided dark green leaves, typically with 5 to 7 lobes. From early summer through autumn, this plant produces spikes of hooded flowers in a cool steel-blue hue, each adorned with a white center.
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
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- North-facing, West-facing, East-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
- Cottage and informal garden, Architectural, 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
- Best grown in moisture retentive, fertile well-drained soil in partial shade but will tolerate most soils and full sun. Staking (see staking perennials) may be necessary
- Pruning
- No pruning required except cutting back dead stems; use protective gloves
- Propagation
- Divide every third year in autumn or late winter to maintain vigour but sometimes plants are slow to re-establish. Use protective gloves when handling any part of the plant
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to fungal stem rot, powdery mildews, and Verticillium wilt