There is probably no plant with such a rich mythological pedigree as aconite (Aconitum) from the Ranunculaceae family, known for its poisonous nature. Legends were made about him, treatises were written. Aconite allegedly called this plant Dioscorides (or Pliny, or Theophrastus, or even some simple ancient Greek), taking into account that one of its species inhabited the vicinity of the city of Akone. It was there that Hercules performed his eleventh feat. Descending to the kingdom of Hades, he brought out the hellish guard, the three-headed dog Cerberus. In fact, the dog turned out to be quite cowardly, the daylight terrified him. He whined, poisonous saliva flowed from his mouths, and where it fell to the ground, deadly aconites grew. The dog, in order not to embarrass the peace of people, Hercules took him back to the underworld, and Aconite, I hope, stayed with us forever.
Aconitum arcuatum
In some places in the world, unfortunately, he has already got into the Red Book and taken under protection. Aconite was abused by the goddess Hecate, famous for sending horrors and nightmares to people, helping poisoners and sorcerers. The soldiers of Mark Antony were tormented with the juice of aconite. The "good people" impregnated Khan Timur's skullcap with it, and this contributed to his death. The track record of atrocities committed with the participation of Aconite can be continued indefinitely, and therefore it's time to stop. Perhaps it is only worth explaining two of its common names - a wrestler and a wolf-hunter. A fighter because his flowers resemble a warrior's helmet in shape, and a wolf hunter - for using the plant as a poison for wolves. And, finally, if the Europeans called aconite "mother-queen of poisons", then its status among the Slavic peoples is no less high - "tsar-potion". Only educated people, usually monks, were allowed to deal with him.
Aconitum lamarckii
German Mannfried Palov, author of the famous "Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants", considers aconite nodule one of the most poisonous European plants, moreover, poisonous "from head to toe", from roots to pollen on stamens. Children must be warned about such specific properties of the plant. Although it is unlikely that a child will start chewing on an extremely bitter leaf or flower. Rather, an adult can confuse aconite tuber with celery, although it smells like horseradish. Two - four tubers of such a "horseradish" is quite enough to get fatal poisoning. But to confuse aconite with celery ... In Europe, ignorant people sometimes mistake its roots for lovage. (Levisticum), used in mountainous areas in the manufacture of herbal liqueur. But every cloud has a silver lining. Contained in aconite - a kind, according to Pliny the Elder, "vegetable arsenic", a cocktail of toxic compounds allowed him to survive in high-mountainous pastures.
Naturally, aconite, like most other poisonous plants, is also a medicine. But only specialists have the right to talk about its application, even external. In some countries, the use of aconite in medicine is even prohibited at the legislative level.
Aconitum lycoctonum
Almost all the sources I have reviewed with enviable unanimity report that the genus contains about 300 species of herbaceous perennials and biennials. And only the "Encyclopedia of Garden Plants" (Encyclopedia of garden plants), published by the British Royal Garden Society, planted a "poisonous" seed of doubt in me, naming only 100 species (and I used to trust her). Of course, it’s bad if we don’t know the truth, but in the end, I think it’s not so important. It is unrealistic to list all the species, let alone describe it, and besides, I cannot cope with this task, moreover, the highly complicated variability of species, which led to a very confusing taxonomy. Let's talk about the most popular types and varieties and focus on design!
Aconitum septentrionale
Aconites are widespread in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, Asia and America). Many species have chosen the vastness of our Motherland.They, including endemics, can be found in the European part of Russia, Siberia, Altai, and the Far East. Wherever they do not settle - in forests, on the edges, on the outskirts of swamps and river banks, in meadows and mountain slopes.
Aconites are very close to delphiniums, and this can be seen with the naked eye. Unlike most members of the family, Aconite has zygomorphic (asymmetric) flowers, from a distance not similar to the "buttercup classic", but rather to the "bean" one.
Among the aconites there are species with a long rhizome extending deep into the soil, and with thick, succulent root tubers lying in the soil at a depth of 5-30 cm. 5-4.0 m long). Leaves are palmate, palmate or lobed with 3-9 pointed lobes, dark green, shiny above, matte below, alternate, petioled.
Arendsii
The flowers are purple, blue, yellow, less often white, purple or pink, bicolor, irregular, up to 4 cm long, with a 5-leafed cup, the upper sepal of which looks like a helmet. There is a reduced corolla under the helmet, which has turned into two nectaries. Flowers are collected in simple or branched racemose or paniculate inflorescences up to 60 cm long. Various species bloom from June (even from late May) to early October. The fruit is a multi-seeded leaflet. Seeds are small, gray, brown and black, quickly, already in the year of ripening, lose their germination.All aconites, at least those that we will talk about, are frost-resistant and unpretentious plants. They prefer a semi-shaded and cool place, although with sufficient moisture they can grow in the sun. Curly species are best planted in cool, diffused shade.
Bicolor
Aconites grow on any cultivated soil, yet preferring well-worked, loose, moderately moist loam. Fertilizers - both organic and mineral (even in small doses) - improve their growth and flowering. Early flowering varieties are planted in August - early September, late - in spring. In dry weather, watering is required, otherwise the decorativeness of plants is greatly reduced. If the time and scale of aconite thickets allows, then it is better to cut out the dried inflorescences in a timely manner. Before winter, the entire aboveground part is cut off. The bushes grow rapidly, plantings thicken in 4-5 years, so division and transplantation to a new place is required, which is good to season with manure and bone meal in advance.
Despite the toxicity (however, in the garden on cultivated soil, after several generations, plants lose their toxic properties to a large extent), aconites are affected by many pests - leaf and root nematodes, aphids, rape flower beetle, slugs and other parasites. And diseases do not bypass them - powdery mildew, spots, ring mosaics, greening of flowers.
Bressingham spire
Aconite is propagated by seeds, cuttings, dividing a bush or tubers. It is better to sow seeds in the fall in the soil, then they will undergo natural stratification and grow better. Otherwise, they will have to be stratified ourselves, and in two stages - about a month at 20-25 ° C and about three months at 2-4 ° C. Seedlings bloom in the second or third year. In nature, aconites are mainly pollinated by bumblebees, whose size and shape correspond to large flowers, so their geographical distribution areas coincide. Rhizome species are divided and planted in spring, root-tuber ones - in autumn. The bush is easily shared by hands. For propagation use herbaceous shoots 10-12 cm tall, which develop in spring from young tubers.
Eleanor
Aconites have a lot of advantages. They appear quite early in the spring, grow vigorously and already at the beginning of summer appear before us in the form of large impressive bushes. Their carved, dark green, rare shade of foliage in the garden pleases (and some seem a little gloomy) with gloss all season, and luxurious inflorescences - the second half of summer and September. By the way, inflorescences can be used for bouquets. Cut when a third of the flowers bloom, then they will stand in the water for up to two weeks.
The appearance of any plant determines its design possibilities.In aconite, these are dimensions (large bush, leaves and inflorescences), leaves (although large, but delicate, graceful), the shape of the inflorescences (brush or panicle directed upwards) and, of course, the color (dark green - of leaves and very different - of flowers ). The solid size of the plant allows it to be used in single and group plantings, in the background in mixborders. Since aconites are shade tolerant, they can be planted under trees and shrubs. A vertical brush requires flat inflorescences or single flowers for contrast, and openwork leaves require leaves of simple large or small, narrow or wide.
Ivorine
Most of the species currently introduced into cultivation have blue and purple flowers. Therefore, aconite varieties in this color range are the most familiar to us. They are presented in our gardens, as a rule, in dark blue 'Newry Blue' and violet blue 'Bressingham Spire' the most common aconite nodule(Aconitum napellus); piercing blue 'Arendsii' and purple 'Barker's Variety'aconite Karmikhel (Aconitum carmichaelii); dark purple 'Nachthimmel' and dark blue 'Doppelganger'aconita kammarum (Aconite x cammarum). Not so long ago, the Far Eastern Fisher's aconite(Aconitum fischeri) - a strong, stocky (height from 0.6 to 1.6 m) fellow with bright blue (less often white flowers), the flowering of which can drag on until late autumn.
Pink sensation
Over the years, almost every species has acquired white varieties (in my garden, for example, a variety grows'Eleanor ' aconite klobuchkovy), sometimes pink (his 'Carneum' or luxurious 'Pink Sensation' aconite Karmikhel) and, of course, close to blue - pale blue and lavender. These are the varieties of aconite Karmikhel 'Kelmscott' with lavender blue and hybrid 'Stainless Steel' with blue, steel-shining flowers.
Hardly anyone in the garden does not have a two-tone blue and white variety. 'Bicolor ' aconita kammarum. I have it too. Last year I bought him worthy neighbors - white-flowered varieties with the same name 'Album' of Delavey's basil (Thalictrum delavayi) and stethoscope spotted (Eupatorium maculatum). But the picture will turn out no worse if you combine it with “fatherly” white phlox or autumn asters.
In the background of the curb, you can embed such types of aconite, such as, for example, high aconite or aconite northern(Aconitum excelsum, syn. Aconitum septentrionale). Its two-meter height to match any shrub.
Stainless steel
Even next to the large Ottawa barberry (Berbcris x ottawensis) 'Superba', it will not get lost, and its large, 30-40 cm wide, dark green carved leaves will be an excellent contrast to the small simple dark purple leaves of the barberry. In general, the not too catchy gray-purple flowers of this aconite also look quite attractive against the background of the purple barberry. Aconite northern withstands significant shading, but blooms better in an open place. This species will not say that often, but nevertheless it comes across in the vicinity of my dacha (from where it migrated to the garden, where it improved its altitude record to 2.5 m). Grows in the garden, keeping company with the common Volzhanka (Aruncus vulgaris), and its more compact (90 cm tall) widespread variety 'Ivorine ' with ivory flowers. Both the species itself and the variety bloom quite early, already in June.Blue and purple aconites go well with yellow yarrow varieties. For example, we plant aconite cultivar kammarum 'Spark's Variety' with yarrow 'Moonshine'. We get the classic contrast of the color of the inflorescences (blue and yellow), their shapes (vertical brushes and horizontal flat shields), foliage (wide and narrow fluffy, each in its own openwork).
Аconitum fischeri
Pink and white varieties of powerful aconite bushes perfectly set off the tenderness and frivolity of Japanese anemones. We plant a pink variety of aconite nodule 'Carneum' with no less pink anemone hybrid 'Lady Gilmour' and sedum 'Herbstfreude'. In terms of flowering time, slender aconites are also suitable for neighboring astrania, which will surround them with a scattering of radiant white or pink star-flowers. Their leaves, by the way, are so similar that they almost merge.
Аconite volubile
Aconites also look great next to large grasses - miscanthus, chia, pike, reed grass (contrast of wide and narrow foliage).And when planting aconites with hosts, you can not only play on the contrast of carved leaves with simple ones, but also match the color of hosta leaves (blue, with white and yellow inclusions) to aconite inflorescences.
Blue aconites, placed in the rear of the "hot" flower beds, even composed of the brightest orange crocosmies, red dahlias and roses, golden flowers of buzulniks, are able to somewhat cool their ardor and balance the composition.
The nature of Asia, including our Far East and Eastern Siberia, has nurtured for us several liana-like aconites, which allow us to replenish the not so rich assortment of plants for vertical gardening. Has long taken root in the gardens curly aconite(Aconitum volubile), from two to four meters in height with a weak stem and blue and green flowers. When, during flowering, it is covered with a mass of flowers on long stalks, it is very beautiful. Can be planted actively multiplying by self-seeding aconite arcuate(Aconitum arcuatum). It rises up to 2.5 m in height. These aconites, valuable already because they are vines, have an additional advantage - shade tolerance and even love of shade. Since their flowers are in the same blue-violet range, ordinary golden hops are perfect companions for them. (Humulus lupulus) 'Aureus', and there is always something for them to curl together in every garden. For example, I threw vines over an electric pole to slightly muffle his "outstanding" role, which he, by chance, plays in the "design" of the garden.
Yellow-flowered aconites are still rarely found in our gardens, which cannot be said about nature. To fill the gap, you can plant abundantly branching, and therefore less compact, wolf aconite(Aconitum lycoctonum) or low, 60-75 cm, aconite oak (Aconitum nemorosa) or higher (up to 1.2 m) aconite Lamarck(Aconitum lamarkii) - they are all carriers of yellow, of course different shades, flowers. Naturally, the most organic will be their combination with varieties of aconite with blue, blue and purple flowers. Aconites of all colors look great next to clematis and, of course, with their closest relatives delphiniums (here you just need to not miss the flowering time, because delphiniums, as a rule, bloom earlier). And finally, I almost forgot - with black cohosh. In autumn, they bow their stems in an arc-like manner, ending in white brushed inflorescences, contrasting with the unbending aconites.
