VANDERMEER

PLANT LIBRARY

Find the perfect plant for your space by browsing through this extensive selection that we typically carry every year.

This library is for information purposes only.

 
perennial

Azure Monkshood

Aconitum fischeri

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Azure Monkshood (Aconitum fischeri) at Vandermeer Nursery

Azure Monkshood flowers

Azure Monkshood flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Azure Monkshood (Aconitum fischeri) at Vandermeer Nursery

Azure Monkshood in bloom

Azure Monkshood in bloom

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Plant Height:  18 inches

Flower Height:  24 inches

Spread:  18 inches

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  4a

Other Names:  Fischer's Monkshood, Wolfsbane, Aconite

Description:

The beautifully unique blooms of monkshood are a welcome sight in any garden; grows well in shady areas; prefers fertile, well-drained soils

Ornamental Features

Azure Monkshood features bold spikes of indigo hooded flowers rising above the foliage from late summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive deeply cut ferny leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Azure Monkshood is an herbaceous perennial with a rigidly upright and towering form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Azure Monkshood is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Accent
  • General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Azure Monkshood will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. The flower stalks can be weak and so it may require staking in exposed sites or excessively rich soils. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This species is not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Accent  Garden 
Applications
Flowers  Foliage Color  Texture  Plant Form  Attracts Wildlife 
Ornamental Features

** Plants listed may not be in stock at all times. **

Please contact us directly for current stock availability.
 
Our inventory varies seasonally and we cannot guarantee that every plant will be in stock at all times. To confirm if we have the plant that you're looking for, please call (905) 427-2525 or e-mail  us at info@vandermeernursery.com.
 
Remember, this library does not include our entire selection. Visit us year-round to check out varieties that may not be listed here!