Behind its breathtaking blossoms lies a deadly danger. Blue monkshood is one of the most poisonous plants in Europe. Regardless, the buttercup plant can be found in private gardens as a decorative eye-catcher. If treated incorrectly, the flower turns into a killer. These answers to frequently asked questions explain how to handle the magnificent perennial correctly.
How should you plant and care for the monkshood?
The blue monkshood is a poisonous plant that grows in partially shaded to shady locations with moist, nutrient-rich soil. When planting and caring for blue monkshood, protective clothing and gloves are required to avoid poisoning through skin contact. Beware of planting monkshood within reach of children and pets.
Planting blue monkshood correctly
Don't start planting monkshood until you have put on sturdy gloves and long-sleeved clothing. Then place the still potted young plant with the root ball in a container with water in order to weed and rake the soil in the meantime. It continues in this sequence:
- Dig a planting hole with 1.5 times the volume of the root ball
- Put the excavated material into the wheelbarrow to mix it with compost and horn shavings
- Unpot the water-soaked perennial, place it in the middle of the pit and plant with the enriched substrate
Fill the soil to just below the lower pair of leaves and water. A mulch layer of autumn leaves or compost has a beneficial effect on rapid rooting in the soil.
Care tips
As long as Blue Monkshood doesn't go hungry or thirsty, it will show its most beautiful side every year for decades. How to properly care for the perennial:
- Keep the soil constantly moist
- Fertilize every 14-21 days from April to August
- Additionally water repeatedly with nettle manure
- In autumn, cut off the flower stems and remaining foliage close to the ground
Please consider the life-threatening toxicity of monkshood when planting and caring for plants. Do not approach the plant until you have put on gloves and protective clothing.
Which location is suitable?
If Blue Monkshood had a say in the choice of location, his decision would be like this:
- Partly shaded to shady location
- Cool and fresh, without direct sunlight
- Likes in moist to swampy soil
So settle the poisonous beauty on the shaded edge of the pond, along the edge of a tree or in a partially shaded, nutrient-rich herbaceous bed.read more
The correct planting distance
Blue monkshood stretches up to the sky as tall as a man while maintaining a slim stature. If you arrange the perennial in a group, we recommend a planting distance of 40-60 cm for the normal tall varieties. Plant small hybrids, such as the Little Knight, at a distance of 30-35 cm from the plant neighbor.
What soil does the plant need?
Fresh, moist to swampy and cool - that's how blue monkshood particularly likes the soil. The soil should be rich in nutrients, humus and loose and permeable. A medium to high lime content is often accepted, so the pH value should be greater than 8. For pot cultivation, we recommend a high-quality compost-based potting soil with a low peat content, optimized with algae lime or rock dust.
When is flowering time?
The flowering period of blue monkshood extends from the end of June until well into September. At this time of summer, the eye-catching flowers with bright blue tones captivate us. The highly poisonous perennial owes its name to the shape of its flowers, which are reminiscent of the hoods worn by mercenaries and knights in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Cut the blue monkshood correctly
The lavishly blooming candles are begging to be cut as cut flowers for the floor vase. In addition, pruning close to the ground in autumn is part of the care plan. Wait until the flowers have wilted and the leaves have fallen. Then put on gloves and protective clothing to cut the perennial.
Water blue monkshood
A regular water supply is essential if blue monkshood is to reach the biblical age of 50 years for perennials. Keep the soil constantly moist. Water even after a light summer rain if the water drops did not reach the root disk through the dense flowers and leaves.
Fertilize blue monkshood properly
Blue monkshood is one of the highly depleting perennials. Therefore, fertilize abundantly and regularly. From April to August, incorporate mature compost, bark humus or an alternative organic fertilizer every 2-3 weeks. Ideally, you should water with nettle manure every 4 weeks. In the planter, fertilizer sticks or a commercially available liquid fertilizer provide all the important nutrients for long-lasting and breathtaking abundance of flowers.
Wintering
The frost hardiness has not yet fully developed in the first winter. Therefore, cover the root disc on the blue monkshood with autumn leaves, straw, needle twigs or compost. Pots are given a wooden base and a winter coat made of jute or garden fleece. The substrate is covered with peat or sawdust, which also protects against constant winter wetness. As soon as temperatures rise in spring, all protective measures are reversed to prevent rot from forming as a result of condensation.
Propagate blue monkshood
An adult perennial produces small root strands from its fleshy beet roots, which are ideal for propagation. Fall is a good time to dig up the plant for this purpose. Separate the turnips from the main root using a sharp, disinfected knife. At the new location, place the segments 2-3 cm deep in the moist, nutrient-rich soil. Enrich the soil beforehand with compost and horn shavings to promote growth. Dust the cuts on the mother plant with charcoal powder, add compost to the planting hole here and plant the perennial again.
Is blue monkshood poisonous?
Blue monkshood is rightly one of the most dangerous poisonous plants in Europe. If 2 g of its roots, seeds, flowers or leaves enter the human organism, it has fatal consequences. It begins with numbness of the tongue and ends with respiratory and cardiac arrest within a few minutes. Fatally, the toxin can also be absorbed through the skin, meaning that as a hobby gardener you are in mortal danger during all planting and care work unless comprehensive safety precautions have been taken. Approach the shrub only with sturdy gloves, long pants and long-sleeved tops. Do not plant the storm hat when children or pets are within reach. Plant remains, such as clippings or cleaned-out flowers, have no place in cattle or horse pastures. Monkshood remains only go into the compost if no animals can eat them there.read more
Beautiful varieties
- Snow White: Its silver-white flowers contrast wonderfully with the blue-flowering wild species; Growth height 120-150 cm
- Little Knight: The ideal variety for small gardens and containers; compact, stable and robust; Growth height 60-90 cm
- Bicolor: Premium variety with two-color flowers in blue and white for all moist locations; Growth height up to 120 cm
- Album: Impresses with pure white flower helmets from June to September and a compact silhouette; Growth height 120-130 cm
- Mountain Monkshood: The pure species scores with rich blue flower candles and is protected; Growth height 50-200 cm
