We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Gardening

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Monkshood?

By Angela Williams Duea
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 9,954
Share

Monkshood is a tall flowering plant of the buttercup family native to mountainous areas of Europe, and sometimes grown in gardens in temperate zones. It is one of the most highly toxic plants in the world, with dangerous alkaloids present in the stems, leaves, flowers, and tubers. The plant has been used since ancient times as a powerful poison to kill humans and animals. The proper name for monkshood is Aconitum napellus, but it has been called a variety of other names, including wolfsbane, women's bane, Devil's helmet, leopard's bane, witches’ bane, and blue rocket.

Growing 3-5 feet (.9-1.5 meters) tall, monkshood is sometimes grown in the back of a garden. It produces large, three-lobed serrated leaves on thin stems. The spikes of flowers are bright shades of blue, purple, or gold, with yellow stamens, in an unusual rounded shape that suggests a monk’s hood or a helmet. Monkshood is sometimes mistaken for blue delphinium, which has a similar shape and flower color. Common varieties are found growing sparsely in the wild, in temperate zones above 1,200 feet (366 meters).

In ancient Roman times, monkshood was recognized as a potent poison and was sometimes used by assassins, such as the killer of Emperor Claudius. Soldiers sometimes coated their arrows and sword blades with the sap from the plant before going into battle. Medieval people used the plant to kill wolves, leopards, and mad dogs, giving it the name wolfsbane, and some believed that witches coated their broomsticks with the sap to enable themselves to fly.

All parts of the plant are toxic, and the toxins can seep through the skin. Gardeners should use gloves when handling the plant and should wash immediately afterward. In some countries, monkshood is only sold to specialist gardeners who are sure to handle the plant carefully. As it is such a dangerous plant, it should not be grown where children or animals can come into contact with it.

The symptoms of monkshood poisoning depends on the amount of toxin that is absorbed; a dose between 5-25 mg can cause paralysis of the nervous system. Within 5-20 minutes after contact, the person will feel flushed, start sweating, salivating, and vomiting, and begin to feel dizzy. The person may develop a headache, blurred vision, and have trouble breathing. Within hours, the respiratory and cardiac systems can fail. If monkshood poisoning is suspected, the patient should drink large amounts of water and a doctor or poison control specialist should be called immediately.

Share
HomeQuestionsAnswered is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.homequestionsanswered.com/what-is-monkshood.htm
Copy this link
HomeQuestionsAnswered, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

HomeQuestionsAnswered, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.