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Fall Blooming Aconitum or Monkshood



I have an Aconitum or monkshood which is planted in the sun but it doesn't bloom until late fall.  Thefore it is almost to late to enjoy the blooms.  Hope you can help.

Doug says


Sounds like you have the wonderful fall-blooming Aconitum carmichaelii.  This is a superb plant and is a delightful blue amidst the sea of fall oranges and yellows.

You don't say where you are but in a USDA zone 4, this plant is going to be an early to mid-fall bloomer.  If you're colder, then you may have too short a season.  If you're warmer, then I'd simply suggest compost as a way to feed it to get it bulked up enough to give you a slightly earlier bloom.  (Compost is a good idea in any case rather than a chemical fertilizer.  Overfeeding with chemical fertilizer may be pushing your plant to grow a lot of foliage at the expense of blooms). 

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