Aconitum lycoctonum Seeds | Wolfsbane

Pale yellow hooded flowers of Wolfsbane (Aconitum lycoctonum) on a tall spike — Wolfsbane (*Aconitum lycoctonum*): Ranunculaceae, a poisonous perennial of European and Siberian mountain meadows.

LATIN NAME: Aconitum lycoctonum

COMMON NAME: Wolfsbane, Northern Wolfsbane

Plant Profile

Wolfsbane is a tall perennial of the buttercup family, found in mountain meadows, damp woods and tall herb communities from the Pyrenees across Europe to Siberia. It grows one to 1.5 metres with deeply divided, dark green leaves and loose spikes of hooded flowers that are usually pale yellow, sometimes dull violet, through midsummer.

The hood is tall and narrow, with two long spurs hidden inside, and the whole flower is built for bumblebees. Every part of the plant is poisonous, and the old name records its use as a poisoned bait for wolves, a practice that died out long before anyone understood the chemistry behind it.

Science & Biotechnology

The genus Aconitum is studied for its diterpene alkaloids, a group of compounds that interfere with voltage-gated sodium channels and are among the most toxic plant substances known. A. lycoctonum differs from the blue monkshoods in carrying lycoctonine rather than aconitine as its main alkaloid, which is part of why taxonomists separate the yellow-flowered group.

Research on the species has looked at pollination mechanics, since the long spurs restrict nectar access to long-tongued bumblebees, and at population genetics in fragmented mountain meadows. Grazing studies show that cattle and sheep avoid it, so it increases where alpine pastures are undergrazed.

In the garden it is also one of the few aconites that tolerates drier shade, which broadens its usefulness.

Uses & Benefits

In the garden it is grown for the uncommon pale yellow flowers and its tolerance of shade and damp. It suits a woodland edge or a wilder corner where the tall stems can lean into grass. It has a place in the materia medica of several European traditions as an external preparation only.

In Chinese medicine the related A. carmichaelii is processed into fu zi, but the raw plant is dangerous and must never be taken internally. Handling seed and roots calls for gloves, and the plant should not be grown where children or livestock can reach it.

The dried root was once hung in stables to keep flies away, a practice recorded in several European herbals.

Growing from Seed

Sow fresh seed in autumn, or stratify dry seed for eight weeks at 4C. Cover lightly with grit, keep moist and cool, and expect germination to be slow and uneven, sometimes over two springs. Prick out when the first true leaves show, and grow on in shade.

Plant in humus-rich, moist but drained soil in partial shade; the plant resents summer drought and hot, exposed sites. Keep it away from children and pets, and wear gloves at every stage, including when clearing old stems in spring.

Young plants are best left undisturbed for a full season after potting.

Seed kept dry for a year rarely germinates, so order it fresh each season.

Our Take

Wolfsbane is a plant for the experienced grower with a shaded, damp corner and no small children. Its flowers are worth the care; its chemistry demands respect.

Herb Seeds