Succeeds in any well-drained moisture retentive soil in sun or partial shade. Prefers a calcareous soil. When grown as a medicinal plant, the highest levels of the medically active alkaloids are obtained from plants growing on a light, permeable chalky soil, especially when on a south-west facing slope. The highest concentrations are also formed when the plant is growing in a sunny position and in hot summers. The northerly limits of cultivation are about 50 - 55° north and at an altitude between 100 - 200 metres. This species is widely cultivated, especially in eastern Europe, for the medically active compounds it contains. These are used in the drugs industry to produce a range of medicines. Plants tend to be short-lived. Slugs are very fond of this plant and have been known to completely remove the outer bark from the stems.

None known

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Germination of stored seed is slow and erratic, usually taking 1 - 6 months at 10°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of softwood terminal shoots in spring. Root cuttings in winter.

Woods, thickets and hedges, mainly on calcareous soils.