CyberSalad: Garden Pursuits: Bulbs: Winter Aconite

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Eranthis hyemalis

In earliest spring, winter aconites send up bright yellow honey-scented flowers that cover the ground like a golden carpet. Each 2- to 4-inch stem bears a single 1-inch wide blossom above a ruff of finely divided green or bronze-green leaves that mature quickly and soon disappear until the following spring. Winter aconites are especially lovely in rock gardens. They are relatives of the buttercup and should not be confused with true aconites (Aconitum), which are summer-flowering perennials.
Hardy in Zones 4-9, winter aconites do well in full sun or light shade; they thrive in any soil that does not dry out severely in summer, but should be planted where they are protected from wind. Purchase the twig-like tubers as soon as they are available in late summer, and soak them in water for 24 hours before planting. Space the tubers 3 to 4 inches apart and cover them with 2 to 3 inches of soil. Plants can be moved even when in bloom, but make sure to dig up sods of the tubers and divide and replant them with the soil still clinging to them. Winter aconites can also be propagated easily from seeds (they often spread by sowing their seeds; seedlings take two or three years to flower).

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Site launched January 1, 2000.
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