Mystery flower

[Steve Foss]

My assumption is this is a cultivated variety or I'd have seen it in the wild. It's growing in my neighbor's Ely garden, so it's gotta be at least Zone 4, and more likely it's Zone 3.

Any ideas?

[Steve Foss]

We found it. Monkshood. One of the most dangerous poisons known to man. You don't even have to eat it, but can absorb it through the skin, like cyanide.

Yikes!

[DTro]

Very interesting and scary flower. I just did a little reading on it.

Used for everything as a wolf killer, to suicide.

Wow

[mmeyer]

Quote:

From practical experience, the sap oozing from eleven picked leaves will cause cardiac symptoms for a couple of hours. Tingling will start at the point of absorption and extend up the arm to the shoulder, after which the heart will start to be affected. The tingling will be followed by unpleasant numbness.

This is a quote from Wikipedia. I hope the person holding the stem washed their hands soon after. Yikes is right!!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Rats steve, I could have proved to be smart once here on FM.. your right it is Monkshood, we have one of the plants in our garden as well. The wife bought it before she knew how bad the poisons were. The Monkshood we have has some white in it as well and is very pretty, if you want me to snap a pict of it for you Steve I can.

[Cicada]

" I hope the person holding the stem washed their hands soon after."

Steve...Steeeve...STEEEVE...you still there buddy?

[Deitz Dittrich]

the wife says its also known as "Wolfbane".

[Deitz Dittrich]

Here is a pict from my garden.. Its just a silly point and shoot camera so take it or leave it. The flower in my area is mostly done blooming in my area.

[Steve Foss]

I put a . . . . . little bit of . . . . monkshood in my . . . . cocktail a few . . . . minutes ago to see if it . . . . was . . . . really . . . . gasp . . . . poison.

Kinda feels . . . . . like it . . . . is.

Uh, NOT SO MUCH!