Aconitum noveboracense

Aconitum noveboracense, also known as northern blue monkshood or northern wild monkshood, is a flowering plant belonging to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). Members of its genus (Aconitum) are also known as wolfsbane.

A. noveboracense is listed as a threatened species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The species can only be found in Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New York, and populations have been in decline since the 1980s. A narrow set of environmental conditions for growth limit the plant to these areas, so a species recovery plan has been set in place to preserve the populations in these habitats.

Blue, helmet-shaped flowers about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in length are characteristic of northern monkshood. Stems may have many flowers, and range from about 1 to 4 feet (0.30 to 1.22 m) in length. The leaves of A. noveboracense are broad with lobes that are coarse and toothed.

Northern monkshood is a perennial and can reproduce sexually by pollination or vegetatively by producing bulbils. Self fertilization is usually not a viable means for reproduction in A. noveboracense. The flowers bloom between June and September and are pollinated by bumblebees. The seeds are dispersed through water or gravity.