Herb latin name: Aconitum maximum


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Habitat of Aconitum maximum:

Sub-alpine meadows and thickets, Aleutian Islands to S.W. Alaska.

Other uses of the herb:

The seed is used as a parasiticide.

Propagation of Aconitum maximum:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be stratified and sown in spring but will then be slow to germinate. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer. Division - best done in spring but it can also be done in autumn. Another report says that division is best carried out in the autumn or late winter because the plants come into growth very early in the year.

Cultivation of the herb:

Sub-alpine meadows and thickets, Aleutian Islands to S.W. Alaska.

Medicinal use of Aconitum maximum:

None known

Known hazards of Aconitum maximum:

The whole plant is highly toxic - simple skin contact has caused numbness in some people.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.