Arum italicum ‘Marmoratum’
The first tightly scrolled leaves of Arum italicum ‘Marmoratum’ appeared a few weeks ago and they’re already very visible in the garden, just as the berries vanish. This is just the beginning of the performance as one glossy-green arrowhead follows another, from winter into spring, unfurling to reveal ivory ribs and veins. They seem impervious to the most dreadful weather.
In established clumps the leaves vary in size, the larger ones coming from the main plant and the smaller from new side tubers, which
A. italicum produces in common with most of its family. The most majestic leaves, from the most mature tubers, have particularly pronounced markings and sensuous, undulating edges. These render the pale green spathes, produced by most plants in the spring, all but invisible.
A. italicum ‘Marmoratum’ is widespread over southern Europe and the Canary Islands, and has been cultivated here for well over three centuries, thriving in sun or dappled shade. Our best plants grow in deep, fertile soil, but clumps flourish in all sorts of out-of-the-way places, courtesy of the blackbirds. Occasionally, they take root on tree stumps or even in the hollows of living trees. Annoyingly, and in common with so many gatecrashers, they’ve the knack of making my planting look contrived.
It’s easy to produce new plants without any help from blackbirds! Collect the berries in autumn when they start to fall away from the stems and squeeze them to separate the seeds from the pulp. Push the seeds into the surface of soil-based seed compost, cover with a fine layer of compost, and top with coarse grit.