This elegant fall-blooming monkshood brings stately form and rich blue color to the  garden from September well into October, when so many other plants start to die back. In fact, it's the last of the aconites to bloom. There's a bonus for gardeners...those 4 - 5' stalks rarely need staking.

Aconitums are commonly known as monkshood, because the upper sepal of each flower resembles the hoods of medieval monks. They attract a variety of butterflies and moths, and are the primary food source for Old World bees. Another common name, wolfbane, refers to the poison made from this plant's roots, which was used to tip hunting arrows. Medicinal (and poisonous) uses of this plant date back to Roman times. What's the difference between a medicine and a poison? Dosage.