THE GOLD RUSH
Hardy aconites are richly rewarding even in the gloom of darkest winter
ASK people to name their favourite winter bulb and most will say: ‘Snowdrops.’ But a plant that makes my heart leap for joy is the winter aconite. Each golden flower nestles in a ruff of deep leaves atop stems less than 3in high. Though they grow from tubers, aconites are usually treated as bulbs and often blended with snowdrops for winter colour.
And, like snowdrops, you can plant them in the green between now and late February or as dry tubers in autumn.
I let mine self-sow all over the garden. They spread well under trees and among larger perennials in mixed borders.
Some consider them invasive, but I’ve never found them to be a nuisance.
Unwanted tubers are easy to dig out and the plants are only above ground in winter and spring. To be sure of a brilliant display, grow aconites in sun or partial shade.
They prefer well- drained soil rich in organic matter, free- draining, but not too dry in summer.
If you want numbers of winter aconites to bulk up, allow your plants to mature and expand their tubers before dying down. It’s also important to let them set seed and self-sow.
You can transplant growing plants safely during or after flowering. Select large clumps for lifting. Carefully break up the tubers — they come apart surprisingly easily — and re-plant each fragment that carries stems and roots.
Try not to remove seed capsules when re- planting. They’ll continue to ripen and self-sow.
Pests don’t trouble aconites, but there’s a serious disease that does: aconite smut.
Stems of infected plants distort and then split to release loathsome, soot-like spores.
If any of your plants show such symptoms, dig them up carefully and dispose of them. Do not put them in your compost. Aconite varieties are few. E. x tubergenii has larger flowers and E. cilicica has bronze foliage.
I grow sulphur- flowered E. Schwefelglanz, but want to try green-tinged Grunling or Euan Bunclark, whose sepals are deeply divided.
But suppliers are few and we must wait for nurseries to bulk them up.
For variety details, see Wim Boens’ brilliant online article. Go to srgc.net, scroll down to the International Rock Gardener link and click ‘January 2014’.
It’s worth it, I promise.