Learn to properly care for fetching monkshoods

Monkshood is a beautiful, old-fashioned flower that's perfectly suited to cottage gardens or casual borders. This guide will give you the basics and teach you how to grow and care for this elegant perennial.

• Monkshood is native to mountains and alpine meadows, stands one to 1.2 metres (three to four feet) tall, and sends up spikes of blue, pink, yellow, or white-and-blue hooded blossoms between midsummer and early fall. The dark green foliage is deeply divided and clothes the base of the plants with a skirt of lush greenery.
• It should be placed at the back of a border because of its height, and to keep it away from children or pets who might be tempted to take a bite from its poisonous leaves, stems or flowers.
• Some good companions of comparable size and with similar bloom times include rudbeckia, cohosh, obedient plant, purple coneflower, and sneezeweed.
• A healthy monkshood brandishes several spires of flowers arranged all around the stem that open from the top down. Each blossom has an unusual shape, with the uppermost petal forming a helmet or hood.
• The plants may become so heavily laden with blossoms that they need to be staked. Use inconspicuous plastic or bamboo stakes and fasten the stems to them with soft green twine, raffia, or yarn. If carefully installed, the stakes will be scarcely visible.

• The monkshood family has a number of worthwhile relatives that expand the colour range beyond the azure shades found in traditional monkshoods.
• There's a white-flowered cultivar, A. napellus ssp. vulgare 'Album' and two pink versions: 'Carneum' in salmon and 'Roseum' in shell pink.
• A. lycotonum ssp. neapolitanum (to Zone 5) has abundant yellow flowers, while 'Ivorine' (Zone 4) has pale, ivory-yellow blossoms.
• For a charming colour combination, try A. × cammarum 'Bicolor' or 'Eleanor,' both of which have white flowers edged in blue.

• Monkshood excels in areas with cool summer weather, but can struggle where hot, humid summers are the norm.
• In warm climates, grow monkshood in partial shade and mulch to keep its roots cool and moist.
• Monkshood demands well-drained and fertile soil, so dig in plenty of compost or other organic matter prior to planting.
• The roots of all monkhoods are poisonous, so be sure to handle the plants with gloves.
• Position the plants in a permanent home, because monkshood roots are brittle and rarely survive disturbance. It's best not to divide them.
• Monkshood is prone to two diseases linked to poor soil drainage: crown rot causes leaf yellowing and brown streaks in the foliage, and verticillium wilt causes one side of the plant to yellow. To prevent these problems, allow your soil to dry between waterings and plant monkshood in a well-drained location.
• Because of its toxicity, monkshood is virtually pest free.

Monkshoods are beautiful plants and can add elegance to your yard or garden. However, they do require the proper conditions and precautions. Use this guide to get everything right so that you can enjoy these wonderful perennials.