Because of the way its slender, flexible stems tend to lean on whatever plants are around, Southern blue monkshood could easily be mistaken for a vine. In fact,  it will often weave its way through bushes, so one of your spring blooming shrubs could suddenly look like it has a second and very different bloom in the fall. It's native to open forests and creek banks from Illinois to as far south as Alabama.



Aconitum is commonly known as monkshood because the upper sepal of each flower resembles the hoods of medieval monks. It attracts a variety of butterflies and moths, and is 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 ancient times.