Aconite (Aconitum anglicum), also known as Monkshood or Wolfsbane, is a mountain plant that prefers damp and shady areas at higher altitudes. It is found throughout Europe and temperate Asia, extending as far as the Arctic Circle. It is rarely found in the British Isles, flowering in a few localised areas between May and June, and is often mistaken for Garden Monkshood (Aconitum napellus).

It is a hairless perennial, which grows up to 6 feet tall. Its leaves are cut into five principal pointed segments, which are further divided to appear fan-like. The flower is a dark blue-violet, helmet shape, found at the top of the plant.

It is intensely poisonous, the toxins are concentrated in the roots. It appears in Greek literature where it was used as a form of euthanasia, for those who had reached senility. It also grows at the gates of Hell, and also where the saliva of Cerberus (the hound of hell) drips. It is said that the name Wolfsbane originates from the Anglo-Saxon practice of dipping arrowheads in the juice, before going out to hunt wolves.

When rubbed into the skin, it gives a tingling sensation followed by numbness, and when it's combined with other ingredients it is believed to give a sensation of flying, hence its use in the witches' 'flying ointment'.