Aconitum Lycoctonum

Wolfsbane is an imposing European perennial with tall, branching stems above broad, deeply lobed leaves. In midsummer it carries airy panicles of distinctive hooded flowers, usually pale yellow but sometimes shaded smoky purple, creating a softer and more unusual effect than the familiar blue monkshoods. It thrives in cool, fertile soil and brings height to woodland edges or the rear of a moist border. The ancient common names wolf’s bane, foxbane and bearbane reflect the plant’s formidable toxicity; every part must be handled with gloves and kept away from children and animals.