Allotments 4 All

Found this hidden amongst its leaves. I like it and there are more flowers to follow too!

Careful Palustris,it could be a tryfid!Very dramatic.

Thought that was Arum Dracunculis? or have I got it wrong (again)  :)

aha.  one of the gardens I visit has lots of those sorts of leaves popping up in their beds.  I haven't removed them when weeding as they looked to lush to be weeds.  However, are they weeds Eric?  Will they become a problem??  They already have enough ground elder to  keep me busy for the rest of my days so if these are going to add to my problems I wouldn't mind an early warning.

Took this one of my A.Italicum today.  :)  G x

This is what mine looks like:

Mine is definitely A. purpurescens, I did check it out in the book before naming it.
Emma, if yours are straight forward green or lightly purple spotted leaves then it is likely to be the native Arum, which is extremely invasive.
Georgie, I have a version of yours with much more pronounce marbling on the leaves, unless it is the camera which has 'washed' out you colouring, as it does rather frequently.

I thought the marbling would be more pronounced too but the photo is accurate.  I only bought the bulbs recently so perhaps they will marble with age?

G xx

Maybe, maybe not. I can send you some buls of a good form if necessary.

Thanks Eric, I'll keep you posted.  Can't wait for the flowers followed by the berries.   ;D

G xx

The Arum dracunculus looks like a rather sad specimen of Dracunculus vulgaris, which probably needs more light than it's likely to get there. They grow rather tall, and have massive obscene-looking green or purple flowers which reek like a deliquescing corpse. There's a little about them on the net, but no info at all about cultivation; mine flourish in full suinlight. Here's a site: http://www.aroid.org/genera/dracunculus/dracunculus_helicodiceros.html

I found nearly 200,000 entries for it. This seems the most concise and useful.
Dracunculus vulgaris is known by many names, Dragon Lily, Voodoo Lily, Viagra Lily and the "tell it like it is" name of Stink Lily.

The "Stink" that eminates from the flower on the day it opens smells somewhat like rotting meat and attracts flies as the chief pollinator, an attribute that needs consideration when you decide where to plant this flower. Luckily the odor dissipates after the first day, allowing you to enjoy the exotic beauty of this unusual plant!

The 10-12 inch flowers range in color from deep marroon to nearly black and last for 7-10 days. The ornate green foliage appears in March but the flowers wait until early to make their appearance.

Dragon Lilies are native to the eastern Mediterranean region. They are hardy in USDA zones 5-8, provided they are adequately mulched in the winter.

Dragon Lilies are tough and easy to care for. They can be grown in full sun to partial shade. Provide good drainage and water well during the growing season. When the plant begins to die back after blooming, you should decrease watering.

The plants benefit from a top dressing of compost and bone meal in early Spring.

Dragon Lilies can be propagated from seed or offset bulbs.

Thanks Palustris :)