Consulta Plantas

Care of the rhizomatous plant Arum or Arum lily

The genus Arum, family Araceae, comprises 15 species of rhizomatous plants native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. Some species are: Arum italicum, Arum pictum, Arum creticum, Arum cornutum, Arum hygrophilum, Arum maculatum, Arum orientale.

Common name: Arum lily.

They are rhizomatous plants that reach 40 cm (15.75") in height. They have arrow-shaped or heart-shaped leaves and are deep green in color and sometimes with cream or dark red nerves. The flowers are very small and appear on a spike surrounded by a large cone-shaped spathe with a green-yellow color. They produce green, yellow, or red berries.

They are used for shady and humid areas of the garden as undergrowths, for example. It is also possible to grow them in pots, but then it is advisable to protect them with dry leaves.

Arum needs exposure to shade or semi-shade.

The soil must be light and fertile; add 1/3 of peat to a garden substrate. If cultivated in a pot, the soil will be a mixture of 1/3 of peat, 1/3 of garden substrate and 1/3 of sand.

Water frequently and abundantly but without watering the soil.

Fertilize the soil with manure at the time of planting and add a dose of mineral fertilizer in spring.

They are plants quite resistant to pests and diseases; it's important not to puddle and monitor the slug attack.

They propagate from seeds or by division.

Images of the rhizomatous plant Arum or Arum lily