About
Aconitum x cammarum is a robust herbaceous perennial that develops into clumps. Its leaves are deeply lobed and feature a glossy dark green hue. During the summer months, this plant produces tall, upright spikes adorned with racemes of hooded flowers in shades of dark blue-purple.
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
- East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 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
- 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
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free but may be susceptible to aphids
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to fungal stem rot, powdery mildews, and Verticillium wilt