A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Plant pests and problems Why are my Monkshood Plants dying?

Hello,

I have an Eleanor and a Stainless Steel Bicolor Monkshood planted under the shade of a Crepe Myrtle. Both plants did incredibly well at first and each had a flourish of flowers. Now, the first one that bloomed appears to have died. The seeds of the spent flowers first browned, then the leaves yellowed and finally the stems and leaves all have browned. The plant appears dead. Now the second one seems to be following the same fate. Why is this happening? I planted them in humus rich soil and have watered the plants diligently, every morning. The plants get a direct morning sun until around 10AM and then they are in the shade the rest of the day. I can't imagine that morning sun is enough to kill these shade plants. Afterall, they did really well for a couple of months with not a sign of distress.

What am I missing? I do have a bit of a slug infestation in that flower bed. They destroyed my Jacob's Ladder, but I have not seen them attack the Monkshood. What else could it be?

Thumbfounded in DC.
T.

Welcome T.
I'm just not sure. I don't grow these plants because I live in a very dry condition and know I wouldn't be able to. But I did research and still don't have a definitive answer for you. I am leaning towards the fact that it must be a much warmer sun now in July than it was a month ago. And these plants need a lot of moisture so maybe watering more often? Maybe a little additional shade? I would try a potted plant positioned nearby to protect from much sun at all.
If it were slug damage you would be able to see it.

Here is a site about Monkshood and problems galore. Hope you find a cure for your problem.


http://vvv.state.ct.us/caes/PlantPestHandbookFiles/pphM/pphmonk.htm