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The Real Story of Wolfsbane: Saving Ohio’s Threatened Wildflower
The CREW Plant Lab works with Aconitum noveboracense, commonly referred to as Northern Wild Monkshood or Wolfsbane!
Plants in the Aconitum genus are highly toxic, surrounded by history and folklore. The common name “Wolfsbane” is thought to originate from the European practice of using the plant as a poison on arrows and spears to kill wolves. It was also believed to be a repellant or a cure for werewolves. This legend has even made its way into pop culture!
Northern Wild Monkshood is native to northeast Ohio, southwest Wisconsin, northeast Iowa, and the Catskill Mountains of New York, growing on shaded cliff faces and near running streams. It has been listed as a federally threatened species since 1978, largely due to habitat loss and degradation.
CREW scientists are helping bring Ohio populations of Aconitum noveboracense back from near death by researching best the cultivation practices in order to provide plants for restoration. This includes propagating 16 unique genetic lines in vitro, acclimatizing plants from test tubes into soil, and sending them up to Bowyer Farms to continue growing. Once they are strong enough, our collaborators at Summit Metro Parks will be able to outplant them into their native habitat
