Flowers
Aconitums
Vining away.....
I am sure you notice all the dead leaves in the last photo. I love the Aconitums, but they drop like flies here, melting away in a matter of days. How do you prevent disease in your plants? I can only keep a few alive.
Hi Kevin_5
Aconitum alboviolaceum also grows into Russia where its color ranges from blue/white (bi-color) to blue/violet. As the name suggests Albo means white, I had forgotten about it. Thank you for reminding me.
The DHJ 107 after the name refers to the finder/collector and is made up of his initials and his collection number for that plant.
Steve
You posted the last three threads as I was sending my last.
I prevent disease by not replanting in the same soil. ie planting else where or replacing the soil that is contaminated. The diseased plant matter I always burn to try to contain the disease.
A lot of Aconites are very picky about where they are planted and require specific conditions. For some it can be too cold, or too hot, too dry, too moist, too acidic or alkaline.
My advice is if you want to grow specific varieties/cultivars, if they don't like your conditions, is to grow them in containers as I do or only grow the ones that like your soil conditions.
As for any diseased ones, burn them or put them in the general household waste, NOT for composting as this may spread disease.
Hope this answers your question. If not feel free to ask more, I will try to answer them.
Steve
I'm apt to agree with you Steve...I did some searching and it seems to match quite good. Glad I finally have a name for it. I bought it as A. tanguticum.
Hi Todd_Boland
Just checked A. tanguticum (syn. A. rotundifolium var. tanguticum) and as you said it is an Alpine and only grows to about 50cm and the flowers should be blue-purple in color.
I wish the sellers would be more careful with their naming.
Idea. I could start a business and charge them to id them for them (too many 'them's)
Would post photo but not got one in collection or haven't found one on the net.
Steve
Hi Todd_Boland
Have found a photo of A. tanguticum (copywrite 'station alpine du lautaret-ujf')
Having thought I purchased a A. tanguticum, I planted it in the rock garden. The volubile is now scrambling over a dwarf Berberis as it is the only shrub nearby to act as a support.
Here is our Sparke's Variety' from the BG (I'm not 100% sure this is the right ID but the plants are tall though not a lax as most books suggest)
I'm pretty sure you are right. I'll post a couple of photos of mine. Also have a photo posted above near the start of this thread.
Mine were trailing across the yard so I proped them up with some canes. They look a mess and some of the flowers are upside down but at least they cannot now be troden on.
The canes in the photos are 6' long so you can see the height of them.
This message was edited Aug 25, 2006 3:38 PM
The flowers bunching together depends on the soil conditions, positioning and location. Two plants the same but in different parts of the garden can look like two different varieties/cultivars.
One of my trials was with A. Fischerii (syn. A. Cammarum) Top end of garden in shade from a Sycamore it grows to 4', other end of garden its nearly 6'. In full sun in the hotest part of the garden against a brick wall it grows to about 3'.
Love that photo with them on the canes, beautiful colour.
Well, I have aconitum envy...they don't do well at all as far south as Arkansas or Oklahoma...or maybe as close to the desert SW :)
I've tried repeatedly, and if I'm very very lucky...one year out of five I might get flowers...usually they just melt in the early -mid summer heat.
Oh, well, I'll have to be satisfied with penstemon and cacti.
Aconitums grow very well here in Iceland - no problems at all - I guess they like it cool! I have A. x cammarum 'Bicolor' and A. henryi 'Spark's Variety'. 'Bicolor' is better I think. A. napellus was probably one of the first perennials grown here and grew in every garden back in the middle of last century. They've gone out of style so to speak - too easy I guess. They were often grown in rows like a hedge for shelter as they can withstand a lot of wind without any support. 'Bicolor' doesn't need much support either - very sturdy stems.
I would love to see a hedge of aconitum. Must look great!
Question: Are any of the climbing aconitum hardy to Zone 6a?
ROX
Yeah, the SE native A. uncinatum is hardy in zone 6 (and the closest to being heat tolerant that I've found). I've had flowers from it about every other year.
Hi all
There are some that can survive hot and dry, but they do need watering regulary.
A. uncinatum is very similar to A. noveboracense, its flowering season is late August-September. In the wild it is an endangered species and should only be bought from cultivated stock. The common name is Southern blue monkshood.
rannveg. Hope you found a site that delivers to you.
ROX. I would also love to see a hedge of aconitum. I did have A. hemsleyanum growing through a hedge of Japonica Nudiflorum (winter flowering jasmin) but never got any photos.
A. episcopale and A. hemsleyanum are hardy to zone 7 so they should be fairly hardy in zone 6a. Most Aconitums are zone 5-9.
dbarron. Try growing them in containers, that way you can keep an eye on them and you can keep the growing medium damp. Use a mulch like pea shingle (small pebbles) to help keep moisture in.
Steve
A. uncinatum (copywrite Dan Busemeyer. Illinois Natural History Survey)
This message was edited Aug 26, 2006 8:50 PM
I haven't found one that sells 'Pink Sensation' yet, but the one you pointed out to me had many other nice goodies and I did order a few seeds :-) Thanks for the tip - I hadn't stumbled accross that site before - I'm sure I'll make many happy returns to it! I'll keep looking for the pink Aconitum - actually the 'Stainless Steel' is really nice too so maybe I'll order some of that! I think I'll check if I can get one of the garden centers here to order some pink ones - I'm sure there are others here that would like a pink Aconitum! Who wouldn't????! That A. fischeri is gorgeous - is it really that blue?? Keep my eyes open for that one too ;-) Really nice photos Steve by the way!
rannveig, we grow A. napellus in Newfoundland in much the same way as in Iceland. It is one of the few perennials that nearly everyone grew, and fisherman generally don't grow flowers! A. napellus is especially common in old cemetaries. Like your area, most avid gardeners ignore them as they are too common. I have seen them growing as a fence between properties in outport communities. There, they are exposed to full sun and wind and rarely exceed 4 feet.
Steve, based upon the lax stems of your Sparkes, then the one at our BG is definetely NOT Sparke's.
Todd, that's very interesting to know!! Gardeners seem to gravitate towards the bordeline plants for their region - it's always nice to grow something new and different I guess no matter what your zone is :-) I guess the climate in New Foundland is a bit similar to that of Iceland? Mild winters and cool summers?
rannveig
Our winters are a bit colder than yours (we are zone 5b-6a) but our summers are warmer (July and Aug. are usually around 25 C).
Lucky you - at least reg the summer temps:-)
rannveig
Todd
Can you post a photo of a leaf? I will have another go at IDing your 'Sparks'
rannveig
Yes it is that blue. Its one of my best flowering, but it is a late flower. The buds are just about to burst.
This was taken 3 days ago. It is growing in a container in full sun.
A. Fischeri (syn. a. Carmichaelii)
There is also a red Aconitum, this is from my collection of photos found on the internet and scanned from magazines. I will edit this when I find who owns its copywrite.
This is a new cultivar and I don't think its available for purchace yet, but when it is I'm first in line :o)
A. hemsleyanum 'Red Wine'
This message was edited Aug 27, 2006 6:55 PM
Can I be second in line for the A. hemsleyanum.
Wow! What a color!
If anyone is able/wants to trade some of their Aconitum, let me know. I would love some plants/seed!
The climbing ones are especially intriguing.
ROX
OK, then it probably has no chance flowering here:-( Oh, that red one is a beauty - I'll be third in line, but something tells me it's too tender to grow here ....
Have found a website with it on. Click on link and you will have to scroll down a bit. www.themeadnursery.co.uk/lista.html#ACONITUM
if you search on that A. hemseleyanum it is available at Fraser's Thimble Farms in BC - which I bet ships to the US, and in the UK. But Fraser's describes it as having violet purple flowers.
Yes that is right for A. hemsleyanum but the cultivar A. hemsleyanum 'Red Wine' is a red-dark red color. There are only A few sites that have them and even less that sell.
Steve, here are more pictures of our Aconitum henryi 'Sparke's'
and a pic of the leaves
Wow, those are covered with blooms!
ROX
Todd
Yes, yours is definitely 'Sparks Variety'. The leaves are identical to mine. Like I said earlier, different growing conditions produce different results, like yours having more flowers than mine.
There are, by my count, at least nine possibly 10 stems there. That means that it has been growing in that position, if planted as a single plant, about 3-4 years.
ROX
The more stems the more impressive it can be. I usually split mine every 4-5 years so to keep a good size clump growing.
It is known under the following names (all the same plant) A. 'Sparks Variety', A. Henryii 'Sparks Variety', A. Napellus 'Sparks Variety', There may be more but if it says 'Sparks Variety' then you can be sure it is the same.
Steve
Steve, that pic is juct a portion of the clump....there are 4 more just like it at the back of the perennial border. They are at least 20 years old and never touched!
Wow, nice photos Todd! My 'Sparks Variety' has some mildew problems (powdery I think) so I had to cut it down and spray it with a fungicide - so no flowers this year :-( I've had this problem with a few delphinium and Geum plants to and they're a real pain to get rid of - always come back year after year. I bought some new stuff yesterday and I really hope that'll do the trick so it'll flower for me next year!
Rannveig
They are very well established and thats why they are flowering that well.
Mine are only in their third year and this is only the first year of flowering.
Can you post a photo of the clump so I can add it to my database?
It will be handy to show people how big it can get.
Steve, here is a shot showing one of the 4 clumps of Sparke's that are growing at the BG.
Thank you Todd
Here is a photo to show the difference in color and size of a couple of Aconitums.
That is my thumb and fore finger to give a sense of size. The A. Fischerii is from my container grown plant, the ones in the garden are not yet in full bloom. Note: A. Fischerii flower size - nearly 2"
L-R A. Fischerii, A. Grossdentatum, A. Lycoctonum subsp Vulparia, A. Lycoctonum
I have a question. I transplanted my monkshood to my new home up north when we moved here last year. I moved it spring of 2005. I moved so much stuff that I don't recall now if I divided it and spread it around or not but it looks like I have a lot more now than I thought I did. I recognize the plant. It has not bloomed yet. Is this common when you move them for them to have to 'settle' in for a year or two? I'm in no hurry. I'm just worried that there may be some weed that looks like monkshood that is spreading around my perennial garden.
Any suggestions or information would be welcome.
Hi
Can you let me know its name and post a photo?
Am working night shift and will give me something to think about.
Steve