Simply fangtastic!

Exotic, unique and ever so slightly creepy – cobra lilies inject instant drama

THERE’S a curious plant in my garden that looks as if it came straight out of a creepy fairy tale. Emerging from the ground in late spring, a tall, stout stem adorned with an animal-print pattern is topped with three huge leaves. Hiding below is a deep maroon flower that resembles an agitated snake poised to strike.

Nicknamed the cobra lily for its extraordinary inflorescence, Arisaema speciosum doesn’t have a long period of interest, lingering for three to four weeks before dying back. Of course, I’d prefer it to put in a longer shift but I enjoy every dramatic moment ment of its short residency, cy, within a bed of shadeeloving plants.

Over t he years I’ve grown a number of different arisaemas, a family of tube rforming perennials that are native to the e Himalayas, Japan, n, China and North Amermerica. They can foundou nd growing wild in a range of habitats, including rocky slopes and riverbanks. Most are woodland residents, thriving in semi-shade and moist soil.

These intriguing plants belong to a group known as aroids, which includes many well-known garden plants, houseplants and wild flowers in its ranks. Among them are arum lily (zantedeschia), peace lily ( spathiphyllum), Swiss cheese plants and our native lords and ladies (Arum maculatum).

A seemingly disparate bunch, they are united by a distinctive feature. Rather than having traditional flowerheads, plants in the aroid family have more unusual ‘blooms’ – numerous tiny flowers are borne on a protruding spike called a spadix, protected by an outer sheath or spathe. The first arisaema to arrive

i n our country was Arisaem Arisaema triphyllum, a species from eastern North America discovered by planthunters in 1664. Known as jackin-the-pulpit in the USA, it forms a single leaf stalk topped with three leaves and has a green spathe adorned with purple stripes.

It was highly valued by Native Americans, who gathered the tubers to eat and treat ailments. Unfortunately, they are highly toxic in their raw state as they contain high levels of oxalic acid, so were rendered harmless by drying for six months. After this, the roots were roasted and ground into flour.

A t ri ckle of wild arisaemas arrived in Britain over the next few centuries with several important ones coming from China in the early 20th Century. Today, about 100 different ones are listed in the RHS Plant Finder – most of these have come into cultivation over the past 30 years or so.

The ‘ flowers’ come i n many shapes, colours and sizes, with foliage that is equally diverse, ranging from stems carrying two huge leaves to umbrellas of long, linear leaves radiating from a central point. Plants will add interest from

STRIKING:

The serpent-like Arisaema sikokianum, above. Inset left: The candidissimum and, left, speciosum varieties late spring until late summer, depending on variety. As for growing them, arisaemas are happiest in a sheltered, slightly shaded spot, such as under a tree or deciduous shrub. They will thrive in just about any soil that is moist but well drained. If necessary, improve the soil’s ability to hold on to moisture by digging leafmould or garden compost into the planting area. The easiest way to raise them is from pot-grown plants, which will provide instant impact when bought in a state of full growth. Another option is to start them from tubers. Dig a 1ft-deep hole and fill up to half its depth with sharp grit. Place the tuber on top, pointy shoot facing upwards, and cover with soil. Water plants regularly during their growing season, and feed every seven days with a weak solution of high nitrogen fertiliser. In autumn, cover the ground above dormant tubers with a 3in layer of garden compost or composted bark to provide insulation against frost.

ITS LOOKS LIKE AN AGITATED SNAKE THAT IS POISED TO BITE