The characteristic differences of the plant, advice on caring for aconite in a personal plot, how to propagate a wrestler, difficulties in growing and ways to solve them, facts for flower growers, types. Aconite (Aconitum) can be found in the literature on botany under the name Borets, it belongs to the family Ranunculaceae. All such plants belong to the genus of perennials, which have a herbaceous form of growth and are unusually poisonous. All varieties are very common in Europe and Asia, and they are also not rare in the North American continent. Everywhere the plant prefers to settle on very wet soils, which are found along the banks of river arteries or on road shoulders, preferring lands rich in humus, but sometimes aconite also grows in meadows located in mountainous regions.
| Family name | Buttercup |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (cuttings, planting tubers or dividing the bush) |
| Landing period in open ground | Rooted cuttings, planted in August |
| Disembarkation scheme | At a distance of 25 cm |
| Substrate | Any soil saturated with moisture |
| Illumination | Bright diffused light, but can grow in the shade |
| Moisture indicators | Moisture stagnation is harmful, watering is moderate, drainage is recommended |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.5-1.5 m, sometimes 4 m |
| Color of flowers | Yellow, blue, lilac, snow white, sometimes pink and purple |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Racemose |
| Flowering time | All summer until October |
| Decorative time | Spring-autumn |
| Place of application | Flowerbeds, lawns, ridges, mixborders |
| USDA zone | 3, 4, 5 |
Its name in Latin aconite is due to the Greek word "aconae", which means "rock" or "cliff", but according to another version, the basis was the term "acontion", which translates as "arrows". Under the term Aconite, which has not changed since very ancient times, this representative of the flora was known to mankind. In German lands, the plant is called Eisenhut due to the fact that the flower is somewhat reminiscent of a helmet with a lowered visor. Among the people, you can hear the following names of aconite - wolf-killer, wrestler, skullcap, blue-eyed, king-grass, black root or blue buttercup and many others.
Aconite is distinguished by the presence of straight stems. In height, they vary in the range of 0.5–1.5 m, but if the variety has a winding stem or curly outlines, then its parameters can approach the 4-meter mark. Its root system is divided into two types:
- Conical root, medium-sized, resembling a swollen tuber. Outside, it has a black color. In the summer period, 1–2 young daughter nodules develop on it, which, after overwintering, become the basis for a new plant. In this case, the old tuber will die off by the end of the growing season together with a part of the aconite growing above the soil surface. Otherwise, this root remains and continues to exist, associated with young root nodules, and in this process the formation of a kind of chain begins, the number of tubers in which reaches 12-15 pieces.
- Tubers are not formed, but there is the development of multiple thin root processes, resembling cords, which subsequently grow together with a rod-shaped rhizome of a flattened appearance. It often has a slight twist.
Leaf plates grow alternately, while taking palm-like outlines. In this case, the leaf itself is deeply divided into palmate lobes. Foliage color is dull green. Aconite blooms from early summer and lasts until mid-autumn. Flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences, crowning the top of the shoot. The size of the flowers is large, their shape is irregular. There are 5 petals in the cup, their color can take on yellow, blue, lilac or snow-white colors. The upper petal has the shape of a helmet; under it is a greatly reduced corolla, which has turned into a pair of nectaries. It contains many stamens, but no spur.
The fruit of the wrestler is a multi-seeded leaflet, which is connected from 3–7 dry prefabricated parts.
Tips for caring for aconite in your backyard
- Choosing a landing site. The plant feels great in bright, but diffused lighting, and is also suitable for skullcap and partial shade. Therefore, in the garden, you can plant it under the trees or in the eastern or western location of the flower bed. Both the heat and the bright sun are harmful to the plant, as it will quickly fade, so it should not be planted in southern flower beds. A northern place in the garden may be suitable, but then the color of the flowers will become a little paler. The wrestler is not at all afraid of draft and wind.
- General requirements for care. Aconite is a very unpretentious plant, so all caring for it comes down to regularly weeding weeds, watering the bush during the summer drought and loosen the soil under the bush. Since the king-grass is winter-hardy, it is not worth covering it for the winter period.
- Fertilizers for Aconite. Since the bushes can grow in one place for almost four years, it is therefore recommended to apply top dressing during the growing season. Complete mineral complexes are well suited for blue eyes, and it also responds well to organics. With the arrival of spring, a small amount of compost is poured under each bush, which will be the key to the bright color of the flowers. Aconite is fertilized only once a season, and at the very beginning of flowering. And you can immediately notice that as a result of top dressing, the flowers shine with more saturated colors.
- Selection of soil for aconite. In this regard, the plant is picky. Any soil will be comfortable for him, except for sandy and rocky. The substrate should not be oversaturated with moisture and very damp, as this can damage the root system. At the same time, its acidity is better low.
- Planting skullcap. In order to plant a young plant or delenki bush, the king of the grass does not make much effort, but you still have to adhere to some rules. When planting, it is recommended to lay a good layer of drainage material in the holes, since in the autumn, if prolonged rains begin, they can lead to rot damage to the root and leaf systems, after which the aconite dies. Cannot be planted in places accessible to children. When working, it is recommended to wear gloves made of thick fabric or rubber, and after working with the plant, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Flowers are mainly sown in the fall, as this will help them quickly adapt to winter conditions.
- Use in the garden. Since the height of aconite is different, it can be used as a solo plant or in the form of group plantings. From the very beginning of vegetative activity, due to the presence of carved leaf plates and brightly colored flowers, skullcap will delight the eye. It is customary to plant wolf-breaker seedlings if the variety has climbing shoots, next to the pillars of the arbors or on the veranda, where the branches will climb over the supports. Aconite is not uncommon in mixborders, ridges and lawns. Even in the cut when decorating bouquets, despite the poisonous properties, florists use flowers and leaves of the king of grass. When choosing "neighbors" in the garden plot, it was noticed that the wrestler is quite well combined with a wide variety of their types. They can be bright delphiniums and aquilegia, chic peonies and astilbe, fragrant irises and rudbeckia. An interesting choice would be the neighborhood of aconite next to low-growing plants as a background for the latter. If the variety has high shoots, then the blue eye can be used as a living screen to close outbuildings from prying eyes, such as sheds, garages or various heaps.
How to breed a wrestler at a summer cottage?
There are several ways with which you can carry out the propagation of aconite: sowing seeds, cuttings, dividing an overgrown bush and planting daughter tubers.
With seed reproduction, the time is selected in the autumn days, immediately after collecting the material. This method is not for beginners, as it will require skill and knowledge. Aconite seeds are stratified - kept cool to stimulate their germination. In this case, the seeds are planted in open ground before winter or at home they are mixed with soil and a container with such contents is placed on the balcony, in the cellar or on the lower shelf of the refrigerator. With the arrival of April, seeds are brought into a warmer room in order for them to germinate. When a pair of real leaves opens on the seedlings, the plants dive into separate pots (you can use it from plastic or, better, from peat). In open ground, seedlings can be planted at the end of summer, maintaining a distance between plants of about 25 cm. Such fighters will bloom no earlier than in 2-3 years.
When grafting, it is important not to forget that only young plants are used, which are carefully separated from the tuber in March. If shoots are cut, then they should be green and do this in late spring. Landing is carried out directly into the ground. It is recommended to wrap such blanks with plastic transparent film or use agrofibre for shelter. After the plants are formed, they are transplanted to a permanent place in the garden.
It is recommended to replant the bushes to a new place every 4 seasons. You can divide aconite in the spring or early September. With the help of a sharp garden tool, it is recommended to separate a part of the bush together with the rhizome and then plant the cut in a prepared place. At the same time, it is important that each of them has three renewal buds. When planting, the root collar should be carefully dug in with soil up to about 3 cm. It is recommended to moisten the transplanted parts of aconite very well.
If tuberous reproduction is carried out, then in the first decade of the autumn period, skullcap can be planted. It is better to put 2-3 daughter nodules in each prepared hole, dig in and water.
Difficulties in growing aconite in the garden and ways to solve them
It is clear that due to the general toxicity of the plant, pests "bypass" it. However, skullcap can be affected by nematodes (galla or lisvtovy), especially if it is planted in flower beds under fruit-bearing trees. Also, the plant suffers from aphids, slugs and other misfortunes. It is necessary to spray with insecticidal and acaricidal preparations, and use the Meta-Thunderstorm for slugs.
The danger for this perennial is viral or fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, ring mosaic, greening of flowers or leaf spot. When powdery mildew appears, all the leaves become covered with a seemingly calcareous bloom, which quickly spreads to the entire plant. Under this covering, the foliage dries up, turns yellow, curls up and dies. It is recommended to process aconite with foundation or Bordeaux mixture with the arrival of spring, along with the trees under which it grows. However, if the area covered by plaque is too large, then you will have to dig up the fighter and destroy him so that the infection does not spread.
Facts for florists about aconite, plant photo
The tubers of the plant have a pronounced horseradish smell and are very similar in appearance to celery. However, all parts of aconite contain alkaloids, among which aconitine is distinguished. Eating any part of the wrestler is very dangerous and only 3-4 pieces of root processes will cause severe poisoning. It is known that 4–5 grams is a lethal dose for humans. Death can occur within 20 minutes.
Attention!!
It is recommended to wear gloves when working with aconite, and after finishing, always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. At the first symptoms of poisoning, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as severe burning in the mouth, itching of the skin, profuse sweating, numbness of the hands and feet, slowing down of respiratory activity, it is necessary to wash the stomach and take a large amount of activated charcoal, and you need urgent medical assistance. Despite all the toxicity of aconite, it has long been used for medical purposes by homeopaths and folk healers, since it has an antipyretic, detoxifying effect, and can promote early healing of wounds. At the same time, preparations based on skullcap are used to eliminate neuralgic pains and gout, are recommended for the treatment of colds and bronchitis, and help eliminate malignant formations (which include cancerous lesions of the skin, lungs and thyroid gland). The plant helps with cardiac disorders, insomnia and inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract.
Contraindications are: pregnancy and lactation, children under five years of age and hypotension. The Djungar variety of akanite is considered the most poisonous of all.
Types of aconite
- Aconite oak (Aconite nemorosum), which is also called the Dubravny Fighter. The plant is found only on chernozems, preferring to grow on the steppe slopes or edges of forests with broad-leaved trees, settling among shrub thickets. The flowers are pale yellow in color, the outlines of the leaves are pinnately dissected.
- Northern Aconite (Aconitum septentrionale), called the Northern Fighter or Aconitum excelsum. It grows in its natural environment almost throughout the entire European territory of Russia, but in the northern part it can be found more often in forests or among bushes. The color of the flowers is of a dirty lilac tone, but there are plants with whitish and sometimes snow-white cups. The helmet has a conical-cylindrical shape, it is more tapered and elongated than that of the usual type of garden fighter.
- Aconite Flerov (Aconitum flerovii) or Flerov's Wrestler, a rather rare variety, which is listed in the Red Book of Russia. It is endemic to the Sherna river artery basin. It prefers to settle in the valleys of small rivers, where gray alder forests grow, sometimes it can be found in floodplain meadows prone to waterlogging and low-lying bogs. Flowers are painted in purple color. The shape of the helmet resembles a dome.
- Aconite woolly (Aconitum lasiostomum) known as Woolly Wrestler, common in all European Russian lands, except for the Urals. Prefers forests and clearings. The flowers have a yellow or light yellow calyx. The shape of the helmet is narrowed, almost like a cylinder.
- Aconite napellus or Aconite blue (Aconitum napellus), and it is also called the Glomerular Wrestler or the Compact Wrestler. Begins to bloom in late June or early July days. The height of the shoots is 0, 9–1 m. The inflorescences are joined by a delicate lilac or grayish-white color of flowers.
- Aconite navicular (Aconitum cymbulatum) or the Wrestler is scaphoid, is endemic to the North Caucasus (Elbrus area). Blooms in July, has blue or light blue petals.
- Dzhungarian Aconite (Aconitum soongaricium) distributed on the territory of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, found on the lands of the PRC and in Kashmir. At the same time, the growth height can reach 2500-3000 meters above sea level. Large flowers of bluish-purple color are collected in the racemose inflorescence. Their parameters are 3, 5–4 cm long and about 1, 8 cm wide. The helmet is formed at a distance from the lateral lobes, has a curvature in the form of an arc and an elongated nose.
