The Last Blooms of the Year

And perhaps the perfect way to celebrate Halloween, too!  These are Wolf's Bane: a.k.a Mousebane, Women's Bane, Leopard's Bane, Queen of Poisons, Monkshood, etc.  There are just over 120 species of Aconitum.  This one is Aconitum napellus and more often than not is referred to as Monkshood.  It is native to forests of central Europe and Alps.  I purchased it from the now liquidated Benke's Nursery of Beltsville, Maryland and had a very long and detailed conversation about it and this specific cultivar which is I why I still remember the detail of it's origin.  This was back in 2010, and I can safely say it's not invasive in the least!  The fact that it has held on and remained hearty is a wonder.  And the last thing she said to me, with a little twinkle in her eyes, as I wheeled my plant laden cart to the checkout was, "Oh, you should also know that they are toxic."  Toxic.  Toxic?

In what might be one of the grand understatements ever tossed off by a plant-loving customer assistant at a boutique nursery... They are notoriously poisonous!  Deadly appears all the time in the literature and it's not just the roots or sap or petals...it the whole package.  Even contact with the skin of a casual nature can result in rashes!  Mine have been very well behaved, and I always wash immediately after having any contact with them.  

So why do I keep them around?  Hmmm...well, you never know when an obscure toxin will come in handy...  Happy Halloween!