The monkshood plant is an herbaceous wildflower that can be found growing in mountain meadows throughout the northern hemisphere. The plant gets its name from the shape of the posterior sepal of the flowers, which resembles the cowls worn by monks. Also known as wolfsbane and Aconitum, monkshood has become popular as a garden addition because of its purple/blue flowers and attractive foliage. Growing 2 to 4 feet (0.5 to 1 m.) tall and 1 to 2 feet (0.5 m.) wide, perennial monkshood is best grown as a background plant. The leaves of the monkshood plant are palmate, meaning hand-shaped, with lobed “fingers” that often have toothed edges and vary in color from light to dark green. In late summer or early fall, it sends up showy spires of purple/blue flowers. Monkshead is not invasive and is both deer and rabbit resistant. However, monkshood, or wolfsbane, is moderately difficult to grow and once planted, doesn’t like to be moved so the best way to grow monkshood is to choose your spot carefully. It sometimes takes a while for it to become established.