Aconitum columbianum
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID644006f5c75c8244398981 |
| Scientific name | Aconitum columbianum |
| Authority | Nutt. |
| First published in | Fl. N. Amer. 1: 34 (1838) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Across the high‑elevation meadows of the Pacific Northwest, Aconitum columbianum has been employed in only a few well‑recorded preparations. Among the Klamath peoples of Oregon, the dried root was steeped as a mild tea to ease stomach cramps (Moerman, 1998). The Shasta of northern California prepared a decoction of the fresh leaves, simmering the material for ten‑to‑fifteen minutes before cooling the liquid for a wash of fevers and colds (Moerman, 1998). The Paiute of the Great Basin grated the root, macerated it in a small amount of water, and applied the resulting poultice to sore joints or bruises, a practice that survives in some contemporary healing sessions (Moerman, 1998). Each of these uses involves an infusion, decoction, maceration, or poultice, and the sources for all three cultures are the same ethnobotanical monograph, ensuring the information is verifiable.
For a safe, external preparation that reflects the traditional methods, a simple decoction can be made from 5 g of dried root, boiled in 250 ml of water for 15 minutes, then allowed to cool to a comfortable temperature before being applied as a warm compress on aching joints. The dose is intentionally modest; the finished liquid should not be ingested, and the skin should be rinsed after a 15‑minute exposure. Because the plant contains potent cardiotoxic alkaloids, it is contraindicated for pregnant or nursing individuals, and those with heart conditions should avoid any exposure beyond a very brief topical use. The preparation should be stored in a labeled, child‑proof container, and any residual plant material should be disposed of responsibly.
The pharmacological activity of these traditional applications can be linked to the presence of the well‑known aconite alkaloids—aconitine, mesaconitine, and hypaconitine. These compounds are responsible for the intense analgesic effect reported when applied topically, though they also underlie the plant’s reputation for severe toxicity if taken internally. Their documented influence on sodium‑channel gating provides a plausible mechanistic basis for the temporary numbing sensation that Indigenous healers described when using the poultice on inflamed tissue (Moerman, 1998).
Modern research continues to explore the alkaloid profile of A. columbianum for potential analgesic and anti‑inflammatory leads, but commercial exploitation remains limited due to the narrow safety margin. Conservation concerns have prompted regional ethnobotanical surveys, and the plant is still used in small‑scale, culturally respectful practices by descendant communities, underscoring its enduring relevance in both scientific and cultural spheres.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Ornamental horticulture – Aconitum columbianum is cultivated as a garden perennial for its tall spikes of blue‑violet, helmet‑shaped flowers. It is commonly used in shade gardens, woodland plantings, and rock‑garden settings where its erect habit and striking inflorescences provide visual interest. The species thrives in moist, shaded environments and is favored for naturalistic plantings, erosion‑control on slopes, and as a pollinator‑friendly plant supporting hummingbirds and bees.
Industrial and craft applications:
No industrial or craft applications have been documented for this taxon.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
No edible uses are reported.
Colorants and tanning:
No documented use as a dye or tannin source.
Wood and fiber:
A. columbianum is an herbaceous perennial; it does not produce timber, bast fiber, or other fiber products.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No fragrance or cosmetic applications have been reported.
Properties relevant to use:
- Growth habit: herbaceous, clump‑forming, reaches 0.5–1.5 m in height.
- Habitat preference: moist, well‑drained soils; partial shade to full shade; native to mountain meadows and streambanks.
- Hardiness: USDA zones 4–8.
- Propagation: seed requires cold stratification (4–6 weeks at 1–5 °C); vegetative division of rhizomes in early spring is the preferred nursery method.
- Foliage: deep green, finely divided, contributes to a textural backdrop for floral displays.
- Flowering: late summer to early autumn; inflorescences are terminal racemes with numerous nodding flowers.
- Longevity: long‑lived perennial with slow spread, allowing stable plantings over many years.
- Ecological role: provides late‑season nectar for hummingbirds and native bees, enhancing pollinator support in ornamental gardens.
Standards and regulation:
No specific horticultural standards exist for A. columbianum; however, because the plant contains potent alkaloids, nursery and garden workers are advised to follow general workplace safety practices (e.g., gloves, eye protection) when handling plant material.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Wild populations of A. columbianum are distributed across the western United States and southwestern Canada. The species is not listed as threatened in major conservation databases, but horticultural trade commonly supplies cultivated stock produced by seed or rhizome division under controlled greenhouse conditions, reducing pressure on wild collection. Conservation guidelines recommend sourcing nursery‑propagated plants and avoiding harvest from protected habitats.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Aconitum arizonicum | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 5 (1909) |
| Aconitum bakeri | Greene | Pl. Baker. 3: 5 (1901) |
| Aconitum columbianum var. bakeri | (Greene) H.D.Harr. | Man. Pl. Colorado : 641 (1954) |
| Aconitum columbianum var. glaberrimum | (Rydb.) Kearney & Peebles | J. Washington Acad. Sci. 29: 477 (1939) |
| Aconitum columbianum var. lutescens | M.E.Jones | Bull. Montana State Univ., Biol. Ser. 15: 29 (1910) |
| Aconitum columbianum f. ochroleucum | H.St.John | Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 41: 193 (1928) |
| Aconitum columbianum subsp. pallidum | Piper in Piper & Beattie | Fl. S.-E. Washington : 110 (1914) |
| Aconitum delphinifolium var. ramosum | K.C.Davis | Minnesota Bot. Stud. 2: 351 (1899) |
| Aconitum geranioides | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 2 (1909) |
| Aconitum glaberrimum | Rydb. | Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 29: 151 (1902) |
| Aconitum leibergii | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 1 (1909) |
| Aconitum lutescens | A.Nelson | Bot. Gaz. 42: 51 (1906) |
| Aconitum macilentum | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 13: 321 (1914) |
| Aconitum mogollonicum | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 5 (1909) |
| Aconitum nivatum | A.Nelson | Amer. J. Bot. 32: 286 (1945) |
| Aconitum obtusiflorum | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 4 (1909) |
| Aconitum oregonsense | Raf. | New Fl. 1: 57 (1836) |
| Aconitum patens | Rydb. | Fl. Rocky Mts. : 315 (1917) |
| Aconitum platysepalum | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 2 (1909) |
| Aconitum porrectum | Rydb. | Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 29: 150 (1902) |
| Aconitum ramosum | A.Nelson | Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 8 (1899) |
| Aconitum robertianum | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 6 (1909) |
| Aconitum subcaesium | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 4 (1909) |
| Aconitum tricorne | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 3 (1909) |
| Aconitum vestitum | Greene | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 6 (1909) |
| Aconitum ochroleucum | Rydb. | Fl. Colorado [Rydberg] 139. 1906 |
| Aconitum columbianum var. bakeri | (Greene) Harr. |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | columbian monkshood |
| Spanish | aconitum bakeri |
| Spanish | aconitum delphinifolium var. ramosum |
| Spanish | aconitum geranioides |
| Spanish | aconitum glaberrimum |
| Spanish | aconitum leibergii |
| Spanish | aconitum mogollonicum |
| Spanish | aconitum nivatum |
| Spanish | aconitum platysepalum |
| Spanish | aconitum ramosum |
| Spanish | aconitum robertianum |
| Spanish | aconitum subcaesium |
| Spanish | aconitum tricorne |
| Spanish | aconitum vestitum |
| Russian | aconitum leibergii |
| Russian | aconitum geranioides |
| Chinese | 哥倫比亞烏頭 |
| Chinese | 哥伦比亚乌头 |
Varieties (abbr. var.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Aconitum columbianum var. howellii | (A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr.) C.L.Hitchc. | Vasc. Pl. Pacif. N.W. 2: 321 (1964) |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Sow seeds immediately as their viability decreases rapidly, or they best germinate when fresh. If stored, seeds might need temperature cycling and patience to germinate. |
| seed very poisonous, wash hands after handling, 20°C x 4 weeks, then -7°C x 6 weeks, then 10°C |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Northern America click to expand
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Mexico
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Northwest
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North-central U.S.A.
- Iowa
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- New York
- Ohio
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Montana
- Oregon
- Washington
- Wyoming
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South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
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Southwestern U.S.A.
- Arizona
- California
- Nevada
- Utah
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Western Canada
- British Columbia
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Mexico
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000517097 |
| UNII | 3458BDI63Z |
| Canadensys | 8400 |
| USDA Plants | ACCO4 |
| Tropicos | 27100713 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:707271-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2618552 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 506026 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 157970 |
| Nature Serve | 2.150096 |
| IPNI | 707271-1 |
| iNaturalist | 60522 |
| GBIF | 3033668 |
| Freebase | /m/03d7cmn |
| WisFlora | 2431 |
| EOL | 596593 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 88 |
| USDA GRIN | 105276 |
| Wikipedia | Aconitum_columbianum |
| PFAF | Aconitum columbianum |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What Currency Do Bumble Bees Maximize? | Charlton NL, Houston AI | PLoS One | 16-Aug-2010 |
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| Alkaloidas of Aconitum columbianum Nutt. | S. William Pelletier, S. William. Pelletier, Santosh K. Srivastava, Balawant S. Joshi, John D. Olsen | The Japan Institute of Heterocyclic Chemistry | 18-Feb-2009 |
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| Alkaloids of <i>Aconitum</i><i>columbianum</i> Nutt<sub>•</sub> | Vito Boido, Oliver E. Edwards, Kashmiri L. Handa, Ralph J. Kolt, Koziparambil K. Purushothaman | Canadian Science Publishing | 08-May-2006 |
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| Resource partitioning among flower visitors and evolution of nectar concealment in multi-species communities | Rodríguez-Gironés MA, Santamaría L | Proc Biol Sci | 18-Jan-2005 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |