Arum
( AR - rum )
At-A-Glance Information
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Commonly called Arum Lilies, these perennial flowers grow from tubers in partial or full shade, and need regular waterings during growth and flowering periods. Leaves are arrow-shaped and attractively veined with white or cream. Stalks will produce a colored bract that encloses a spadix of tiny flowers that are sometimes fragrant. Blossoms are followed by dense fruit clusters that are typically bright red. These fruits last even after the leaves of the plant have faded. Arum is great for shady border areas of the garden or as a tropical-type groundcover. Take care when planting these flowers in your garden, as physical contact can be irritating to skin and the plant is toxic if ingested.
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Arum Species and Varietals
The genus Arum includes around 30 species and is a member of the plant family Araceae. The genus name is derived from the Latinized Greek name for these plants, 'aron'. Although they are commonly called Arum Lilies, these plants are not closely related to the genus Lilium. Arum is more closely related to the genus Zantedeschia, a genus whose plants are also commonly called Arum Lilies. The best growing zones for Arum depend on the species; for more information, read the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
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Arum apulum (Apulian Arum) This species is endemic to Italy, and is threatened by habitat loss in its natural range. It prefers to grow in low scrub landscapes naturally, and spreads clonally through its tuberous root system. |
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Arum besserianum This species of Arum Lily is native to southern Poland and northwestern Ukraine. Spathe is commonly light green to cream in color. Leaves are large and green, shaped like arrowheads. Flowers are followed by red berries. Grows to reach between 8 and 24 inches tall. |
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Arum coccinatum (Crete Arum) This species of Arum Lily is found naturally in wet areas and olive groves in southwestern Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean islands. Foliage is green, and in springtime, a dense spadix is produced surrounded by a large, burgundy, green, and yellow spathe. It grows to reach up to 2 feet tall at maturity when in bloom. |
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Arum creticum (Cretan Arum) This species is native to the Greek island Crete, southwestern Turkey, and the eastern Aegean Islands. It is semi-evergreen, and forms a clump of foliage. Flowers are fragrant and spathes are cream to white. Fruit is red to orange. This species of Arum Lily reaches about 20 inches tall when in bloom. |
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Arum cylindraceum This woodland species of Arum Lily produces leaves in early springtime, followed by flowers protected within a green spathe. Berries are bright red. This species is native to most of Europe. |
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Arum dioscoridis (Spotted Arum) This species of Arum Lily is native to southern Turkey, Cypress, Greece, and the Middle East. It was first described by James Edward Smith in the publication Flora Graeca, and is named after the ancient Greek physician and botanist Pedanius Dioscorides. Leaves appear in wintertime, and flowers on a short stem appear in spring. The spathe is yellow-green, with dark red to maroon mottling in the throat. |
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Arum hygrophilum This species is found in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, and Morocco. The spathe on these plants is cream to white, with a deep red to maroon lining. Plants reach up to 2 feet tall when mature and in bloom, and a dark maroon to purplish spadix surrounded by a pale green spathe with a maroon edge. |
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Arum italicum (Italian Arum, Italian Lords-and-Ladies, Cuckoo's Plant, Orange Candle Flower) Grows best in zones 2-24; native to southern and western Europe. Leaves sprout in fall or early winter, and short stems hold white (sometimes greenish or with purple spots) bracts in spring and summer, followed by orange-red fruits. Leaves die to the ground after blooms fade, and plants will naturally multiply by volunteer seedlings. Variety 'Marmoratum' ('Pictum') has leaves with white veining. |
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Arum maculatum (Adam and Eve, Adder's Meat, Adder's Root, Cuckoo Plant, Naked Boys, Snakeshead, Starch-Root, Wake-Robin) This species, native to Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus, grows in woodland areas and along riversides. Varieties include Arum maculatum maculatum (with purple-spotted leaves) and Arum maculatum immaculatum (with green leaves). Berries that follow blooms are orange-red. |
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Arum nigrum (Black Arum) This species produces a large underground tuber, from which it produces glossy green arrow-shaped leaves and flowers surrounded by a dark maroon to black spathe. These flowers are native to the Balkan Peninsula and northern Greece. |
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Arum palaestinum (Black Calla, Solomon's Lily, Priest's Hood, Noo'ah Loof, Kardi) This native of Israel grows best in zones 14-24. Leaves emerge in winter, spathe opens outward to reveal a purple interior and black spadix. Flowers bloom in spring and early summer, and then leaves die back to the ground. This species is best known for its long history of use as a food in the Middle East and for its use in traditional Middle Eastern medicine. |
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Arum pictum This native of the Mediterranean grows best in zones 7-9 and 14-24. Spathe is violet with a white base and encloses a dark purple spadix. Flowers bloom in fall, and light green leaves have white veining. Foliage dies to the ground in hot weather. |
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Arum sintenisii (Sintenis Arum) This species is native to uncultivated Olive Tree groves in northern Cyprus and southwestern Turkey. It is able to survive mild winters without dying back to the ground, and produces a purple spathe around a purple spadix at leaf height. |
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Caring for Arum
Arum species' tubers should be planted in well-draining soil in late summer or early fall, set 8-12 inches apart and 4-6 inches deep. The best spot in the landscape to plant Arum Lilies is in partial to full shade. Arum Lilies can be planted in the ground, though many people choose to cultivate them in pots to easily move them indoors and outdoors when necessary, as the rhizome roots do not always survive deep frosts. Plant Arum in a place in the landscape that receives partial shade, or in a greenhouse. If growing in a container, make sure it is relatively deep and drains well. These plants prefer to have their roots in fertile, moist soil that drains well. If local soils are compacted, do not drain well, or are particularly poor in nutrients, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic matter or compost before installing. Apply a thick layer of mulch around the base of the plant after installation, ensuring that mulch stays at least a few inches away from the stems. This will increase soil moisture retention, suppress weed growth, and maintain a constant soil temperature.
Water new plants regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new environment. Mature plants should be given water any time the top inch or two of soil feels dry to the touch. In climates with no frost, rhizomes can be left in the ground over the winter months. Mulching over the tops of plants during the coldest months of the year can help them to survive, as well. In areas with hard freezes, grow these plants in containers and move them indoors or to a more protected location over wintertime. Pruning is relatively straightforward for these plants; after they are done flowering and fruiting, cut back the flowering stem to the base of the plant. Any remaining foliage can be cut back in this way as well. New foliage and flowering stems will form and bloom in the next growing season.
Water new plants regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new environment. Mature plants should be given water any time the top inch or two of soil feels dry to the touch. In climates with no frost, rhizomes can be left in the ground over the winter months. Mulching over the tops of plants during the coldest months of the year can help them to survive, as well. In areas with hard freezes, grow these plants in containers and move them indoors or to a more protected location over wintertime. Pruning is relatively straightforward for these plants; after they are done flowering and fruiting, cut back the flowering stem to the base of the plant. Any remaining foliage can be cut back in this way as well. New foliage and flowering stems will form and bloom in the next growing season.
Propagation
Arum plants are most readily propagated via seed, though they can also be propagated via vegetative cuttings or offsets. To propagate your Jack-in-the-Pulpit, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Arum by Seed
Propagating Arum by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost and pots (12 inch pots will do, and these are only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in spring or fall (after the plant has entered dormancy and been cut to the ground, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every four to five years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance, especially if you are growing Arum in containers. To propagate by division, follow these steps:
Propagating Arum by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seeds of Arum plants are located within the bright fruits held on the naked spadix after the spathe has faded. Cut the spadix off of the plant when the berries turn red in late summertime. Each berry contains 3 seeds, which can be gently squeezed out. After seeds are removed, rinse them to remove any remaining fruit flesh.
- Soak seeds for about 48 hours in warm water, exchanging the water a few times during the soaking period when it cools down. After this process, remove seeds from their bath and lay them out to work with them.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes between 4 and 8 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Propagating Arum by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost and pots (12 inch pots will do, and these are only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in spring or fall (after the plant has entered dormancy and been cut to the ground, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every four to five years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance, especially if you are growing Arum in containers. To propagate by division, follow these steps:
- Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the rhizome roots. Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
- Start to tease apart the roots with your fingers and rinse of any remaining dirt. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one growing point and a healthy root system.
- Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divided rhizomes about an inch under the soil surface and water thoroughly.
- Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout. Arum plants that have been propagated via root division typically take a few years to re-establish themselves and begin flowering again.
Problems and Pests
Arum plants have no serious insect pest or disease issues. For information on commonly-encountered garden pests and diseases, consult the pages linked below:
Gallery
These interesting flowers prefer some shade.
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Flowers are held on long stalks called spadices, surrounded by protective spathes that vary in color.
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After flowers fade, green berries take their place that mature to bright reddish-orange.
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Videos
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All about propagating Arum by seed.
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Identifying an Arum italicum plant.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 172, Arum
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