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Botanical illustration of Monkshood
MedicinalSourced entry

Monkshood

Aconitum ferox

A deadly Himalayan aconite whose root is used in Ayurveda only after special purification. It has caused fatal poisonings.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • Toxicity1 note →

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Monkshood?

Plant family
Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family
Parts used
The root (deadly poisonous)
Where it grows
The Himalayas
Genus
Aconitum
Species
ferox

Traditional names

Vatsanabha

Traditionally used for

  • Ayurveda (only after purification)

Traditionally described as

  • Contains aconitine

Natural compounds

Aconitine

Safety

Toxicity testing

  • Monkshood is deadly. Aconitine, its main poison, acts on the nerves and heart. Poisoning starts with tingling around the mouth, then severe stomach pain, weakness and heart failure. In 2024 a traditional healer in Nepal died within 12 hours of drinking a homemade tea containing aconite.[1]Study

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Monkshood root, called vatsanabha, is used in Ayurveda only after a traditional purification process called shodhana. In a 2013 study, traditional shodhana turned the root's deadly poisons, aconitine and pseudoaconitine, into far less toxic compounds, while a modern chemical method did not.[2]Study

In short

Deadly poisonous; aconite poisoning can stop the heart.

Sources

  1. [1] Fatal aconite poisoning in a rural Nepali traditional healer: clinical challenges and management strategies · DOI: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000002543Peer-reviewed study
  2. [2] Evaluation of toxicity of 'Vatsanabha' (Aconitum ferox, Ranunculaceae) Before and After Shodhana · DOI: 10.1016/j.jyp.2013.01.001Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.