azure monkshood

Aconitum fischeri (azure monkshood), a Ranunculaceae native to Korea and Siberia. Most often grown for its showy lavender-blue flowers, monkshood is a great choice for bringing late fall color interest to your garden. A. fischeri blooms from September to November/December, producing flowers with a hood or helmet-like shape–hence, the plant’s common name.

Azure monkshood plants produce strong, upright stems that often do not require staking to present well during the sometimes wet and windy fall months of the garden. The deeply divided dark, almost glossy green leaves of A. fischeri are unique among fall garden foliage. Plants grow best in moisture-retaining, but well-drained soils.

Botanical Name Aconitum fischeri
Common Name azure monkshood
Family Ranunculaceae
USDA Zone 3 thru 8
Light Requirement Full Sun to Part Shade
Season(s) of interest fall
Height and Spread 2-3ft x 1.5-2.5ft (60-90cm x 45-75cm)
Flower Color Blue
Attracts Wildlife Attracts Pollinators, Rarely Browsed by Mammalian Herbivores
Additional Information Not Native to the US Midwest. Native to China and Vietnam. Poisonous to humans.
Location in Lurie Garden Southwest Dark Plate

 

Average Flowering Time