The garden does not have to be lacking in color or excitement during this period. They can range in height from one foot to over ten feet. Most are clump formers, but some are open in habit. They can be lax, sprawling, almost vine-like, or stately uprights. You can have an Aconitum in bloom from June through the middle of December simply by choosing a particular species, hybrid or cultivar.
Foliage emerges in early spring resembling crinkled parsley.
There is a full range of light yellow-green to dark glossy green in color, sometimes freckled with darker spots. The foliage is finely cut and adds much in the way of texture when not in bloom. The plant could be considered for texture and architecture alone since it is among the first to emerge and the last to leave the garden. With over eight hundred species and numerous hybrids to choose from, it would be difficult not to find the right monkshood for your garden. Monkshood is a member of the buttercup family.