Aconite, Chinese (Aconitum carmichaeli), packet of 50 seeds
$3.95
TOXIC–wear gloves when handling fresh plant or roots–do not ingest the plant.
Family: Crowfoot (Ranunculaceae)
Hardy to Zones 3 to 9
(Fu-zi) Herbaceous perennial native to China. Bears extraordinary flowers on a sturdy plant with highly decorative, deeply lobed leaves, that sends up multiple stalks to about breast high. Flowers in the autumn. Sow seed in the fall. Keep cool to cold, moist and shaded. Sprinkle seeds generously on surface of soil in deep flat or gallon pot, then cover with 1/4 inch of soil, tamp securely and then cover with 2 to 3 inches decomposed leaf mulch and place outside in the cool or cold, moist shade. In a recent test, we did exactly this and the seeds germinated in 28 days. Otherwise, germination in the spring. One of the easier Aconites to grow.
50 Seeds/pkt. Open Pollinated, Untreated, NO GMO’s
In stock
Question
Margrit Mikulis (verified owner) –
Hello Richo,
I repotted my Fuzi after receiving it. Should I keep it in the shade? It isn’t very happy in my greenhouse. I am in Vermont.
I appreciate your response.
Margrit
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Richo Cech –
Hi Margrit,
Yes, these do best in shade conditions and planted in real dirt. Pick off the leaves and transplant. Mark your spot well. Richo
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Question
Stephanie Villalobos (verified owner) –
Hey Richo, I put my aconite in the fridge last night in a tea ball in a bowl of cold water. Apparently my fridge is too cold and they froze. Do you think they’ll be alright or should I restart with fresh seeds
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Richo Cech –
Hi Stephanie, Wow, that did get cold! I think they should still be OK if you plant them right away. I had good luck with those seeds, I think you will, too. richo
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Stephanie Villalobos (verified owner) –
I was worried it hadn’t been cold enough when I stratified the belladonna so I turned it down 🥲 You mean plant em tomorrow after just one day in there or let them soak the rest of the week?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Stephanie, yes, just my opinion, since they were inadvertently frozen, i think you should plant them immediately, richo
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Steph (verified owner) –
Hey Richo, those poor frozen seeds have all germinated and are doing well! When do you recommend potting them up?( they are in one large pot now and have their first set of true leave) I don’t want them to crowd each other out
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Richo Cech –
Hi Steph,
Thanks for staying in touch. They probably won’t overcrowd at this stage. They are sensitive to transplant. Try teasing a few of them out and replant to 4-inch pots and see what happens. Premature dormancy in aconite seedlings is common. Such plants should be kept well-mulched, moist and shaded until they reappear. You can find out much more about growing aconite in “Growing Plant Medicine Vol 1.” Richo
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Question
Stephanie Villalobos –
Hey Richo, I’m located in zone 9. If I sow this now am I likely to have any germ by spring or should I wait until fall?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Stephanie, Thanks for writing. It’s a bit odd, really, Chinese aconite is a fairly fast germinator while monkshood (Aconitum napellus) is really slow. You can sow Chinese aconite now. This seed germinates readily. In the germ test, I did give it a prechill in cold, rainy conditions for a week or so, then the seeds germinated in 28 days. You could do the same. If your zone 9 is already too warm, prechill for a week in moist medium in the fridge, then sow in pots in the greenhouse. Richo
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Steph –
I live near the OR border in Norcal and coastal. It’s about 50 and raining almost constantly. Is that cold wbough? And Would you recommend just leaving it in pots exposed to the weather or not letting it get too saturated?
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Richo Cech –
hi steph, really hard to say–some call these “frost germinators” and 50 degrees is. . . not frost. Put them in moist medium in the fridge (colder–40 degrees F) for a week and then plant to the greenhouse. Saturation in pre-treatment is not a problem. richo
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Richo Cech –
hi steph, really hard to say–some call these “frost germinators” and 50 degrees is. . . not frost. Put them in moist medium in the fridge (colder–40 degrees F) for a week and then plant to the greenhouse. Saturation in pre-treatment is not a problem. richo
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