Despite its danger, monkshood is grown in many gardens as a perennial and easy-care perennial due to its attractiveness. The seeds have a triangular shape similar to a pyramid and are usually dark brown in color.
How should monkshood seeds be sown and sourced?
Monkshood seeds should be purchased from specialist retailers, as these species are protected by law, offer magnificent flowers and are tailored to the needs of the location. When sowing, choose the right location, cover the seeds lightly with soil to ensure dark germination and keep the soil moist.
Get the seeds for monkshood in the garden from specialist retailers
There are various reasons why you should purchase the seeds (€4.00 on Amazon) for sowing monkshood in a suitable location in your garden from a specialist retailer:
- legal protection
- the magnificent flowers of the cultivated varieties
- the different location requirements of different subspecies
Since monkshood's natural habitats have been decimated in some cases, there are no longer many natural monkshood occurrences in some areas. This is also the reason why monkshood is now protected by law in many countries and cannot be picked or collected. When it comes to flower size and abundance, the blue monkshood (Aconitum napellus) often cannot keep up with the varieties bred specifically for the garden. If you purchase the monkshood seeds (€4.00 on Amazon) from specialist retailers, you can also specifically select a subspecies that is suitable for your location in the garden.
Precautions when handling monkshood seeds
Monkshood is one of the most poisonous ornamental plants in European gardens. That's why you should definitely store purchased seeds safely until they're ready to sow. After all, the concentration of toxins is one of the highest in the roots and seeds of monkshood. You should also always wear gardening gloves when sowing seeds and when caring for monkshood. If you do not need seeds to propagate the plants already cultivated in the garden, you can cut off the wilted flowers immediately before the seed heads form.
Sowing the seeds correctly
When sowing monkshood seeds in the garden, you should make sure to choose the right location. They are also dark germinators, which is why you should lightly cover the seeds (€4.00 on Amazon) with soil for germination. Keep the soil evenly moist during the germination phase, and the monkshood should always receive enough moisture for magnificent flowering later on.
Tip
Monkshood can not only be grown from seeds, but also propagated by division. This type of propagation also has a rejuvenating effect on the plants.
