By Julien
Derbyshire,
United Kingdom 
Aconitum problem?
Hello, i have a large clump of Aconitum moonkshood, which is the early flowering form, it normally flowers really well, however last year was poor and looked as though it had been attacked, this year the growth at present is aprox 8 inches and the tips are all stuck together, on closer inspection and opening the tops of each stem i noticed numerous very small black caterpillars which had been eating into the stem, it took a liitle time but have removed all the caterpillars, have never had a problem with aconitums before and the fact they are poisonous really surprises me that a pest would attack them, could these be a type of sawfly larvae? and has anyone else had the same problems, thanks julien.
6 Apr, 2011
i did a few years ago. all you can do is remove the critters and keep fingers crossed. mine recovered and some later shoots did flower for me.
yes acconitums are poisonous to us but not to all other things.
There are lots of things that are harmful to animals that we eat ok.
chocolate to dogs, grapes to rabbits etc.
7 Apr, 2011