Aconitum 'Red Wine' - Owl and Stump Rare Plants

Aconitum ʻRed Wineʼ- Its Really Worth A Toast or Two 

by Grahame Ware © including all photos

It finally happened for me after years of waiting for it. My seed-raised plants (well, okay- 

a seed raised plant) of Aconitum 'Red Wine' blossomed gloriously in my new garden 

here in Yellow Point, north of Ladysmith on the east coast of Vancouver Island. I'd finally 

found the right spot and done the right things to make it happy. Far from being just an 

ordinary table wine, this one has good vintage, bouquet and spirit. Allow me to sketch 

the history of this plant as well as my own personal thread in that cord. There has been 

very few entries in horticultural literature on this natural hybrid. This one is likely the 

most extensive. 

History 

Aconitum 'Red Wine' is a member of the climbing clan of Monkshood. However, unlike 

most of its kin, it is not wispy, small-flowered or anemic. This is a classy fellow that 

shows the usual toughness of Aconitum but has an extra delicacy in its form and colour. 

Jonas Bengsston of Djupedals Plantskola in Sweden told me the following. "In the 

Spring of 1989, Gothenberg Botanical Garden received seeds of what was supposedly 

Aconitum hemsleyanum from the Shanghai Botanical Garden. At Gothenberg thay 

already had clones of A. hemsleyanum and they discovered that it did not match. The 

flowers are as bug as those of the popular herbaceous Aconitum 'Spark's variety' and 

the colour is a wine red (RHS colour chart 185A). It is likely a natural hybrid that comes 

true from seed." 

Bengsston was the first nurseyman in Sweden (and by extension the world) to trial it 

and then build up stocks. I had contacted Bengsston in 2005 as part of a large feature 

story I was developing for the RHS Plantsman Journal on the "Climbing Clan of 

Aconitum". See the full Spring 2006 article here on my website: 

http://www.owlandstumprareplants.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Plantsman2006.pdf 

In 2006, Bengsston generously sent me a whack of seed so that I was able to share it 

with people like Ellen Hornig, that ran that wonderful nursery in upper NY state, Seneca 

Perennials (alas, sadly, it is no longer going). Ellen, in turn, has shared seed and plants. 

Garden Culture 

I was able to start a number of seedlings down the path to maturity in 2006 and 2007. 

However, the climate of the N. Okanagan (especially the Winters) were too much. Oh, 

they didn't perish (mostly), they just sulked and the following Spring, rallied a bit before 

they swooned in the heat of Summer's string of 40F. temps! Who could blame them? 

Still, most lived even after moving house in summer (late June of 2008) with no beds or 

gardens to put them in. The following Spring I decided (after establishing a few 'beds' in 

the sandstone), that I would spot a few around. Too much sun or not enough? Enrich 

the soil or leave it lean and rocky? Bengsston indicated that in the cool, west coast 

maritime climate of Sweden that they did best in full or near full sun. Yet, the German 

and French growers thought that semi-shade was optimum. Likely this is due to the 

stronger sun of the Continent. 

It can get very hot here in the summer being on the leeward side of the Arrowsmith 

massif. The first spot that I trialed was under a Pinus parviflora var brevifolia. It was

doing fine through the early and late Spring but then it fried in the record Summer heat 

of 09 and I lost that one. The only compensation that year was that me and my Beloved 

got to swim a lot in our local ocean beaches. Another strategically placed plant made a 

shrivelling goodbye in another bed under a small Magnolia. Not so strategic afterall. 

The remaining pots of 'Red Wine' trembled as I approached them the following Spring 

with border spade and cultivator in tow. I had decided that the next thing I had to do was 

to mimic their natural situation. 'What is that?' you may well ask. In the wild they are 

generally found in swales or near creeks in forests where their roots are in thick layers 

of well composted duff that overlays a gravelley, mineral-rich substrate. Foster shrubs 

aid in the climbing and clambering whilst at the same time provide some amelioration 

from the sunlight. I decided that the north side of my house underneath a small Acer 

hybrid would be the next best trial spot. There was plenty of morning sun especially 

when the sun wheels around in Summer and splashes and dashes off the siding full 

force through 11 AM. After planting it in with just its little terminal bud barely above the 

soil level, I side-dressed it liberally with a mix of well-composted fir bark mulch and old 

cow manure and gave it a good soaking of my chicken manure/kelp tea based from my 

rainwater barrel. I did this at plant out at twilight (might have even been on the new 

moon!- I wasn't taking any chances) and used the tea concoction twice a week. The 

plant grew nicely that year but did not even get close to flowering. 

But it was okay, it was alive. The following year in August of 2011 of a very backward 

Summer and a cold, wet Spring, it flourished and budded up. Then it flowered 

magnificently. Five years had passed since it had been ushered into existence. I had 

helped it with a little twist tie or two getting up the tree which itself is only 5'-6' tall x 4' 

wide. After that I let it do its own thing with the only asterisk being that my cat had 

swatted at one of the green buds and dislodged a branch somewhat. So I curled it 

gently 'round a small branch and out of further temptation. 

By the end of August when a dawdling Summer finally kicked in (and the crickets started 

to play their cellos), the flowering was in overdrive. They were dangling and dancing in 

the breezes on strong stems with the Acer x mandshurica providing the perfect foil and 

dancing partner. They were very classy. They kept going through most of September. 

The flowers are about 2 1/2" long. Two other plants grew somewhat but did not even 

come close to making a show. It's the last Sunday of January as I write this passage 

and a little probing around the roots tells me that "Duke" is ready for a return 

engagement. Two others in the ground are looking like they'll make a run as well. 

I sure you can see why the Eurpean equivalent of the Perennial Plant Association, the 

ISU (International Hardy Plant Union), judged Red Wine "an outstanding plant" in 2000 

after trials in many gardens by many members of that association. Its a fabulous plant 

compared to the likes of the species A. vilmorianum, A. hemsleyanum, A. episcopale, 

etc. What's the expression?-"It blows their doors off!" 

Conclusion 

I wrote in 2006 that Red Wine was not widely available. However, now Jelitto Seed is 

offering it for sale and it is very expensive. 1 gram will cost you 24 Euros and this will

produce about 200 plants if all goes according to Hoyle. A packet costs 8 Euros and will 

likely produce 15-20 plants. Contact info for both N America and the UK here: https:// 

www.jelitto.com/haupt_en.html 

In Canada, Kristl Walek's Gardens North Seed is selling 30 seeds for $5.25 which 

seems like a good deal. http://www.gardensnorth.com/catalogue/database.cgi? 

Mode=List&Field=Category&Search=CLIMBERS 

Despite my travails, you may find that even under ideal conditions, it will likely take you 

3-4 years from seed to flower. 

I thought that I was going to have a veritable bounty of seed but one day (night?) deer 

paid a visit and duly consumed most of the seed. Somewhere in the woods nearby, 

some Red Wine is germinating this Spring having gone through a rather curious 

scarification process. Since moving here I have developed a keen taste for venison. 

I will have some plants on offer at the Spring Sales for the AGCBC and VIRAGS so 

keep your eyes open at the Owl & Stump table. These plants are several years old and 

should be ready to flower quite soon. 

What follows is a photo essay showing Red Wine through its various stages. 

Let's all raise a glass to a great new plant and say thankfully to Red Wine with a glass of 

red wine in our hands- "CHEERS!"

August 2011: buds emerge like chunky Jolly Green Giant peas 

They swell lengthwise to get their unique shape and begin to colour up on their tips 

Looking very determined as it colours up from green to burgundy to wine red

The first flower before opening looks almost garnet coloured in dim light 

A closer view of the same above. Note the light from my flash bouncing off the top.

Mid August and finally the first flower. Note how the colour gets lighter like wine! 

Soon they were in overdrive and each flower stayed around for weeks.

Clusters of Red Wine pumping out on strong pedicels

Mr & Mrs 'Red Wine'...that's Mrs. on the left!

"Say ahhh!" (note the pollen from my little paintbrush and the bumblebees)

The late stages of flowering with top helmet staring to separate from the bottom

Aconitum 'Red Wine' - Owl and Stump Rare Plants

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