Arum italicum
Italian arum
- Height × spread
- 0.3m × 0.3m
- Position
- All conditions
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Flowers
- Spring
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This hails from Southern Europe and the Canary Islands. It provides interest throughout the autumn, winter and spring and is dormant during summer. The leaves emerge during winter, large, lustrous dark green with a lighter green central rib. The leaves are arrow-shaped, and the stem is attached at teh rear to the central rib, the two ends of the leaf curving and flapping over the stem top. (An unusual and distinctive leaf shape called "sagittate".) In spring the mature foliage clump produces its flowers, a white column (the spadix) shielded by a white oval (the spathe), source of the popular name for arums 'Lords and Ladies'. Then, the leaves wither and all goes quiet for the summer. Once autumn comes the plant re-emerges, or rather, a columnar stem clad in brilliant scarlet berries appears, wonderful and eye catching in the autumn garden.
- Flower colour
- White
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Fruit colour
- Orange
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Bell
- Height
- 0.3m
- Spread
- 0.3m
- Season of interest
- Autumn, Winter
- Flowers in
- Spring
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Wild flower meadow, Shady court, Indoors, Gravel garden, Cottage garden, Conservatory
- Sun or shade
- All conditions
- Soil type
- Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil, Well drained soil, Dry and shady soil
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Indoor light
- A light position not direct sun
- Indoor temperature
- 0C minimum temperature
- Use for
- Bird attraction
- Hazards
- Yes, plant with caution; Humans: CAUTION toxic if eaten; skin/eye irritant
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Indoors
Feed with houseplant food monthly
Give the plant a balanced houseplant feed monthly while in growth.
Where food elements are listed as three numeric values on the label representing in order Nitrogen(N)-Phosphorus(P)-Potassium(K), with percentage values for each, choose one where the values are more or less equal.
Spring-Autumn · Indoors
Water regularly during growth
Water regularly while in growth.
Adopt a regime that means the plants are thoroughly watered every week so that they do not become dessicated. In hot weather watering may need to be more frequent, but less often in cool or moist conditions.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Feed with houseplant food monthly
Give the plant a balanced houseplant feed monthly while in growth.
Where food elements are listed as three numeric values on the label representing in order Nitrogen(N)-Phosphorus(P)-Potassium(K), with percentage values for each, choose one where the values are more or less equal.
Spring · Planting
Divide after flowering
Clumps that have become congested can be lifted, divided and replanted with some space between the bulbs, corms, or rhizomes so that they can further develop, producing new foliage clumps in the future.
Winter
Winter · Indoors
Water sparingly during dormancy
In its dormant period give very little water, keeping the soil barely moist. Dormancy is likely to be during the winter and the plant recommences growth in early to mid spring.
When a plant enters dormancy the leaves fade, go yellow and then brown. Eventually the whole plant may 'disappear' or unadorned stems may remain.
Planting & general
Compost · Planting
Houseplant compost for repotting
Repot using any good quality house plant compost.
Indoor temperature · Planting
0C minimum temperature
This plant requires a minimum temperature of 0 Centigrade.
Indoor plant · Planting
Position in indirect light indoors
Give the plant a position that is cool and light, and away from direct sunshine.
Found in
More Arum
Arum
Lords and ladies
Arum 'Chameleon'
Lords and ladies, Cuckoo-pint
Arum creticum
Yellow arum, Sweet scented arum, Cretan arum
Arum cyrenaicum
Cyrenaicum arum
Arum italicum
Italian arum
Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum'
Italian arum
Arum maculatum
Jack by the hedge
Arum pictum
Autumn arum, Black calla, Black arum