Arum
Lords and ladies
- Height × spread
- 0.2m – 0.4m × 0.15m – 0.35m
- Position
- All conditions
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
There are around 26 species of arum. They belong to a much larger family termed 'aroids' which have developed a curious flowering structure that consists of a spathe and a spadix. The spathe is a hooded structure, which could be considered to be a petal, that sits behind the spadix, columnar or club-shaped and the true flower that encompasses the sexual organs that may be male, female or bisexual. The arum is found in Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, often in places where there are hot and dry summers. Many species flower in spring and are dormant during the hot summer season. In the autumn there are fruits and foliage which may last through winter. The leaves are often highly attractive, large, fleshy and intriguingly patterned. The spathe is generally coloured white, but is yellow in Arum creticum and purple or black in Arum Nigrum and Arum pictum. Some plants have 'flowers' that smell unpleasant such as the dung-scented Arum dioscoridis and Arum pictum, whilst Arum creticum (among others) has a sweet fragrance. Arum italicum and its forms will happily form extensive colonies and their foliage combines well with spring bulbs. There are a number of folk remedies that make use of this poisonous plant.
- Flower colour
- Brown, Green, Purple, White, Yellow
- Foliage colour
- Green, Grey, White
- Fruit colour
- Orange, Red
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- Yes, some varieties
- Shape
- Bell, Cube, Dome
- Height
- 0.2m – 0.4m
- Spread
- 0.15m – 0.35m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Winter garden, Wild flower meadow, Shady court, Mediterranean garden, Indoors, Gravel garden, Cottage garden, Conservatory
- Sun or shade
- All conditions
- Soil type
- Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil, Damp and wet soil, Well drained soil, Dry and shady soil
- Winter hardiness
- Varies, some are not hardy
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Indoor light
- A light position not direct sun
- Indoor temperature
- 0C minimum temperature
- Use for
- Ground cover, Bird attraction
- Hazards
- Yes, some poisonous
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.
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
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.
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 '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
Arum italicum
Italian arum