SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 245.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "245" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.

Safe for Children?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Dogs?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Cats?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Reptiles?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Columbian monkshood

Scientific Name: Aconitum columbianum ssp. viviparum

Family: Ranunculaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Forb/herb

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Columbian Monkshood (Aconitum columbianum)

Aconitum columbianum, commonly known as Columbian monkshood or western monkshood, is a flowering plant species belonging to the buttercup family.

Considerations for Pets and Children

  • The entire plant is highly toxic, and even simple skin contact can be hazardous. It contains the toxic chemical aconitine.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Aconitum columbianum Nutt.
  • Common Names: Columbian monkshood, western monkshood, blue-weed, friar's cap, aconite, wolfbane
  • Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)
  • Synonyms: (Based on provided subspecies)Aconitum c. columbianum
  • Subspecies:
    • Aconitum columbianum subsp. columbianum
    • Aconitum columbianum subsp. viviparum

Distribution and Habitat

  • Found in the west and southwest USA.
  • Specifically mentioned locations include: Mount Ashland (Oregon), Cascade and Painted Canyons, damp meadows north of Hellroaring Creek, Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park (British Columbia, Canada), Sierra Nevada wetlands, Great Burn (Lolo National Forest, MT), and Silver Lake.
  • Often found along streambanks.

Morphological Characteristics

  • It is a herbaceous perennial, tall, thin plant, typically growing 2 to 5 feet tall.
  • The leaves are parted.
  • Flowers have blue sepals and petals with darker veins; the upper sepal forms a helmet-like hood. Flowers may be over 2.5 cm (1") long.

Quirky Facts

  • A European species of Monkshood (A. napellus) is known as wolfbane.
  • Due to its toxicity, hospitals may administer an antidote to save a person's life. However, the Columbian Monkshood is considered less toxic than its European counterpart.
  • The subspecies name "columbianum" refers to the plant's American (Columbian) location.

Additional Information

  • Referenced database: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database.
  • Dave's Garden is mentioned as a resource for gardening tips and ideas.
  • Discover Life provides information about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Aconitum columbianum.