Our Winter Aconites in the Green are grown in the UK specifically for the purpose of being lifted and sold while in growth, or 'in the green'. Along with snowdrops, Winter Aconites are one of the earliest flowering British bulbs, forming a carpet of waxy, golden buttercup-like flowers from January onwards.
Please note: Aconites "in the green" is a misnomer, as the foliage can be yellow and shrivelled: this is normal, and has no adverse effect.
Take a look at the rest of our range of bulbs in the green.
They perform best when grown in moist ground containing plenty of organic matter.
Buying bulbs in the green means you receive growing plants that are freshly lifted. A few species of bulb, including bluebells and snowdrops, establish best when they are transplanted quickly either while still in growth or when their foliage has freshly died back. This ensures the bulbs are moist which helps them establish more rapidly when they next come into growth; "in the green" is a misnomer, as the foliage can be yellow and shrivelled: this is normal, and has no adverse effect.
They really do need to be planted as quickly as possible after being lifted as their foliage is perishable and deteriorates rapidly after a few days. We, therefore, restrict our shipping dates from February until May to weeks when the weather means your aconites can be lifted immediately before despatch and are posted to arrive with you on a Thursday or Friday in time for planting that weekend.
These are one of the very few plants to thrive in the thick shade you find under horse chestnut and sycamore trees; they get most of their growing done while the trees above are without leaf.
Eranthis hyemalis is a member of the buttercup family - the relationship can be seen in the flowers and leaves. Hyemalis means "winter-flowering". Other common names include winter hellebore and winter wolf's bane, to match their namesakes, the Aconites (its previous botanical name was Aconitum hyemale), which are also in the buttercup family, but in a different genus.
Like many bulbs and tubers, aconites are absolutely not fit for human consumption, but you might need to watch out for thieving squirrels.