Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Favourite Plant of the Week - Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum'

Whew! What a long name but what a cheer to see looking so good even in the depths of winter. Another stalwart of a plant worth highlighting.


Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum'
Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum'
This very exotic looking yet very hardy aroid has large, arrow shaped leaves that are glossy and heavily marbled with cream that in time can cover large areas from late autumn until early spring. Later on the spathes rise up above the foliage and develop into displays of clumps of attractive orange berries, becoming the main attraction of this plant and taking the limelight as the foliage dies down.

But before we even get into the berries later in the year, growing it for the foliage is enough reason to have it especially as it looks so good, pristine, and very exotic at a time of the year when very little else is looking at their prime. A great plant for winter interest.

Despite it potentially taking over large areas, it is slow to do so and unlikely to be a nuisance and doesn't seem to smother other perennials. Also they are in leaf at a time when most plants are dormant and by the time other plants leaf out, the leaves of this aroid starts to fade away and the area is taken over by others.


Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum'

This plant is easy to establish, doing well in moist and shady areas, perhaps even in a sunny spot as long as the area doesn't dry out. You can introduce it in the garden via plants in leaf bought in the autumn and once you get the berries you can scatter them in other parts of the garden where you want it to be seen. Sometimes blackbirds can do this deed for you however you won't have control where it will come up (unwanted seedlings are easy enough to remove though).

We join Loree of Danger Garden for her Favourite Plant of the Week meme!

Mark :-)

22 comments :

  1. I love the looks of that plant. Never heard of it before but it sure is a beautiful choice for your exotic gardens.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. I wonder if it could be fine in your location Cher, worth finding out!

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  2. Too beautiful to be true...must have.

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    1. You must Ricki, it'll look great in your garden!

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  3. Very nice, although the moist soil requirement effectively rules it out for me.

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    1. I'm sure you can find a shady spot for one :) although your location might be too warm

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  4. I have the smallest little clump of these, now you've got me wanting to expand it...

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    1. Hopefully your small clump won't remain small for long :) harvest and scatter those berries in the autumn!

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  5. Very pretty plant. Love the variation of color on the leaves! It would fry like tissue paper here in the summer though. lol

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  6. I have never been as successful as you with my arums (planted in about three gardens now - perhaps they are still doing their 'thing' without me!) But you've reminded me it has to go on my shopping list!

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    1. Worth persevering with Cathy! A bit surprised it hasn't performed well for you but plants has their share of unpredictability too :)

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  7. I'd be happy for it rampage under and around my bamboo but, although shady, it gets very dry there which is a shame for I'm always looking for something (anything!) that would be happy in that place.

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    1. Epimediums would be a great alternative to thrive in that spot you mentioned Esther :)

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  8. These are awesome! Some I planted in our garden in Germany as a child are still growing there, over ten years after we left and despite the current occupants of the house doing next do nothing in the garden. Not sure if they would be hardy enough to succeed around here, even when we are spared a polar vortex.

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    1. That's good to hear, and definitely worth trying in your location, you might be surprised :)

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  9. Very pretty, and although I'm sure I could find a shady spot, it may too hot and dry. In the winter perhaps!

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  10. This is one of my favorites too! It works well for me even in places that are quite dry in the summer as, like you, we've got a lot of winter rain to keep it happy when it's in leaf.

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    1. Glad to hear it does well for you, even in drier areas of your garden :)

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  11. I love these so much. I've been starting to expand the Arum collection in my section at work, and am constantly amazed by the different varieties of Arum italicum! I can't wait to see if my new ones make it through the winter (We did hit -20 degrees a few times but they were under about a foot of snow so I think they'll be fine). I do love how you guys are actually able to enjoy the foliage all winter, obviously you can't even see mine under all the snow we've had this year!

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  12. We grow this plant at Sissinghust Garden and I agree the leaves look amazing at the moment. So amazing in fact, that I mentioned it in our blog this week which you can read at Http://sissinghurstcastle.wordpress.com/ if you'd like to. Helen (Sissinghurst gardener)

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