Learn About The Care Of Winter Aconite Plants

The care of winter aconite consists mainly of simply leaving it alone to live and thrive. As long as you have planted the tubers in fertile, well-drained soil, they will grow and spread year after year. Do not dig up the plants when they are done blooming. Allow the foliage to die back naturally.

Where does winter aconite grow best?
How do you grow winter aconite?
Is winter aconite invasive?
Which way up do you plant winter aconite?
How do you kill winter aconite?
What does aconite look like?
What do winter aconite bulbs look like?
Do aconites spread?
When should I transplant winter aconite?
Is winter aconite poisonous to humans?
Is winter aconite a perennial?
Is winter aconite native to Pennsylvania?

Where does winter aconite grow best?

In order to thrive, it needs to spend the rest of the year in dappled shade and moisture-retentive soil. Eranthis is perfect for under a rose bush or shrubs, or around the base of deciduous trees.

How do you grow winter aconite?

Aconite bulbs need to be soaked for one night before you plant them. Plant the little bulbs 2-3” deep, and 3” apart, in late summer to early fall. And good news, they're deer resistant. If you want to enjoy Eranthis indoors, it's a good idea to start forcing them 12 to 16 weeks before your intended blooming time.

Is winter aconite invasive?

The plants prefer humus-rich, well-drained but not dry soil. Plants from bulbs tend to be slow to establish large colonies. When growing in conditions it likes, winter aconite reproduces easily and spreads readily to form large colonies – almost to the point of being invasive.

Which way up do you plant winter aconite?

The round buds of winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis), still cradled by the leaves, push upwards through the ground before the clear-yellow flowers open.

How do you kill winter aconite?

Digging around aconites is a sure way to destroy the plants. Winter aconites do best in a location that will receive sunshine during the daytime in the early spring.

What does aconite look like?

The tall, erect stem is crowned by racemes of large blue, purple, white, yellow, or pink zygomorphic flowers with numerous stamens. They are distinguishable by having one of the five petaloid sepals (the posterior one), called the galea, in the form of a cylindrical helmet, hence the English name monkshood.

What do winter aconite bulbs look like?

Carpets of bright yellow, buttercup-like flowers in late January and February surrounded by ruffs of fresh green leaves. Winter aconites originate from damp woodland and shady places in Eurasia so are perfect for naturalising under deciduous shrubs and trees.

Do aconites spread?

Winter aconites spread underground and so you want to plant them with room to grow. Never cut or mow aconite leaves or stems until they have completely died back.

When should I transplant winter aconite?

Another way to propagate winter aconite is by dividing the plant clumps after the flowers fade, but before the leaves die back. However, these plants really prefer not to be moved once they are established.

Is winter aconite poisonous to humans?

Toxicity. All parts of the plant are poisonous when consumed by humans and other mammals, because it contains cardiac glycosides similar to those present in Adonis vernalis.

Is winter aconite a perennial?

For gardeners who like to plant perennials that greet you in the spring, learning about winter aconite can provide valuable information.

Is winter aconite native to Pennsylvania?

WINTER ACONITE (Eranthis hyemalis). This member of the Buttercup family is native to the European Balkans, southern France and northern Italy, but is widely naturalized elsewhere. It is an early spring ephemeral, blooming in deciduous woodlands in March or April.