Herb. No. 062 · Ranunculaceae
Cool European mountain meadows.
Native · Europe
Native Also grown
LegalDeadlyplant
Monkshood
Aconitum napellus
Hooded indigo flowers — beautiful, and poisonous to the touch in sap, let alone as a tea.
Treat this as a poison-garden specimen. Read Safety before any use.
Aconite has a history as a spear poison and a disastrous folk liniment. The alkaloid aconitine causes tingling, then paralysis and arrhythmia. Gardeners have been poisoned by handling crushed leaves with cracked skin. Gloves are not optional.
Flavor
Do not taste. Immediate tingling is a warning, not a spice.
Parts used
None for self-care.
Helpful
- Unmistakable teaching flower
Cautions
- Contact and ingestion poison
- No reliable kitchen antidote