The monkshoods are good perennials, slowly forming multi-stemmed plants. Some are tall species, and at the other extreme there are dwarf, high-altitude alpines. All have spikes of characteristic hooded flowers.

Aconitum napellus subsp. vulgare was also known as Aconitum compactum, which tells us that the spikes of flowers are shorter than in other varieties of the species. It is also characterised by the linear leaf segments. In this case the flowers are violet to deep blue, although there is a white-flowered form ('Albidum') known.