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.
Almost every gardener has some member of this family thriving in a place of prominence. Clematis , the Queen of flowering vines, is one example. Columbines and anemones are other favorites. Each bloom carries closed inflated petals at the top resembling a hood. The individual flowers are carried in masses, blooming sequentially for long periods.