Winter aconite

Questions about winter aconite

Does winter aconite need sun or shade?

Winter aconite grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does winter aconite grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 7. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 7 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does winter aconite flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late February to mid March. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should winter aconite be planted?

3 in (7 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3 in (8 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 4 in (10 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many winter aconite plants do I need?

At 3 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 219 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 44 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 701 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as handfuls of five or seven, in the gaps between other plants.

In the bed above, the planner used five in one group.

Is winter aconite poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, especially the tubers, are highly poisonous if eaten.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like winter aconite?

These come closest to doing what winter aconite does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Striped squill: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late March to mid April, blue, not yellow.
• Spring starflower: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers early April to early May, blue or white, not yellow.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat winter aconite?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will winter aconite spread?

It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Multiplies by offsets and seed and spreads through a bed over time. It is easy to lift where it is not wanted.

What can I plant to hide winter aconite's leaves after it flowers?

A bulb's leaves have to be left to yellow for about six weeks after flowering, to feed next year's flowers. Plant it among perennials that come up late and spread wide, and they grow over the leaves as they fade:

• Hosta: 18 in tall and 2½ ft wide, in flower mid July to mid August.
• Lady's mantle: 18 in tall and 24 in wide, in flower late May to early July.
• Catmint 'Walker's Low': 24 in tall and 2½ ft wide, in flower mid May to mid September.

What does winter aconite look like in winter?

Winter aconite is underground: it dies back after flowering and waits as a bulb until spring. Mark where it is, so a fork does not find it first.

Is winter aconite good for bees and butterflies?

Winter aconite is visited by bees.