Aconite

Jane tells me this plant is called Aconite.

Thought I should look it up just to make sure, she's right again.

Resilient to frost and snowfall, it will spread enthusiastically around the garden and last throughout the greyest of months.

This apparently diminutive specimen (botanical name eranthis hyemalis) is to winter what the rose is to summer. Golden yellow buttercup-like bowls of petals sit just a few centimetres above ground. Each flower stands upright and is supported by foliage that lies beneath the bloom. The contrast between gold petal and lush foliage is all part of the appeal. It has an almost boundless energy and will persist through many a festive season.