Flowers · Bulbs
Winter aconite
Eranthis hyemalis
A yellow winter flower sitting on a green ruff of leaves, often out with the snowdrops. It spreads where the soil is leafy and left undisturbed.
Growing conditions
Soilclay, loam, chalk
Moisturemoist, well-drained
pHneutral, alkaline
Position
SunPartial sun, Shade
Aspectnorth, east, west
Exposuresheltered
HardinessH6
Size
Time to maturityFlowers the first winter if the tubers were plump
Max height0.1–0.1 m
Max spread0.1–0.2 m
In the garden
Plant tubers in autumn after a soak, or move plants in the green. Deciduous shade is ideal because summer cover keeps the tubers cool.
Dry, shrivelled tubers fail to grow. Little else troubles it.
Colour and scent
A mark in a season means the plant is doing that for at least part of it.
| Season | Foliage | Flower | Scent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Leaves | — | — |
| Summer | — | — | — |
| Autumn | — | — | — |
| Winter | Leaves | yellow | — |
- Janyellow
- Febyellow
- MarFoliage
- AprFoliage
- MayDormant
- JunDormant
- JulDormant
- AugDormant
- SepDormant
- OctDormant
- NovDormant
- DecDormant
Jobs
These dates suit a mild southern garden. A northern or Scottish plan shifts spring and autumn jobs by a fortnight.
25 September
Soak and plant
Soak shrivelled aconite tubers overnight and plant them 5 cm deep.
10 March
Split in the green
Lift and divide flowering clumps if you want to start a new patch.