Wild, Wonderful Aroids - Part 4, Arisaema - Page 3

Arisaema candidissimum

A. candidissimum, (Section Franchetiana) is another highly prized for its inflorescence; one of the few tinted a delicate rose-pink. There is a form that's pure white, but I've not seen it. All forms have a green and white striped outer spathe tube, with the color on the inside.

This is an easily grown Chinese species, found on stony slopes and in open pine forests. Dan Hinkley, in his The Explorer's Garden notes that he observed tubers in their native Sichuan Province, in full sun, on dry, rocky south-facing slopes, nearly resting on the surface of the soil. My plant is growing in quite deep shade, but this tells me that it might benefit from a bit more light.

It emerges very late, mid-June; I always think it has disappeared forever, then one day, it's back.

Mine is not in a salubrious position, being right at the base of a huge oak surrounded by dogwoods (Cornus florida), so there is a lot of root competition. I keep meaning to move it to better quarters, but forget to mark it while it is above ground so I can find it when dormant.

While it is possible to move an Arisaema in full growth, doing so when it is dormant causes less stress to the plant.

This close-up of the spathe shows the markings and rose color, which seems variable, from paler than mine to a much deeper pink.

It is said to have a sweet fragrance, faint and disappearing a day or two after the inflorescence opens. I have not noticed this, but it is very likely I was not out to sniff at the appropriate time of day.

The spadix is either male or female, rarely bisexual. The tips are always slightly bent.

Said to easily form offsets, mine has not, after some six years in the garden. Most likely, this is due to the location and the root-filled soil it's living in.

Even if you have both male and female plants, I understand that seed set is sparse. I have only the one mature child, so no chance of seeing fruiting until my current batch of AEG seeds matures - some four years or so hence.

I particularly enjoy the foliage. The large, rounded trifoliate (divided into three) leaflet makes a statement, particularly when grown with companions such as Helleborus foetidus or Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Rubra'.

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