Arum italicum Marmoratum - Italian arum

Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum', also known as Italian Arum or false Arum, is a plant related to florist's Arums, preferring partial shade and fertile soils. Its growth cycle, adapted to Mediterranean climates, is characterized by the emergence of beautiful dark green foliage heavily marbled with white in late summer, as soon as the rains return. Shaped like a spearhead, it persists throughout the winter and disappears with the arrival of heat. The plant develops a white-green inflorescence in spring and produces a beautiful fruiting in late summer in the form of red and shiny berries arranged on a highly ornamental cluster. This unusual perennial is well suited to natural and wild gardens.

Arum italicum subsp. italicum 'Marmoratum' is a particularly ornamental form of Italian Arum, a tuberous perennial also known as Italian cuckoo pint or calf lily. This plant, belonging to the Arum family, is native to southern and central Europe. It is found in countries around the Mediterranean (Canaries, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), as well as in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Russia and up to Ukraine. 'Marmoratum' reaches 40cm (16in) in all directions after 2 to 5 years of cultivation. From its large oblong tuber divided into 3 parts, triangular leaves with dark green lamina and broad white veins emerge in October-November, before winter. The flowering takes place in April-May, in the form of a large whitish spathe that conceals a fleshy axis called the spadix. This spadix bears unisexual male or female flowers. Pollination is carried out by small flies attracted by the smell of the spadix. The flowering is followed by the formation of round and fleshy fruits, shining red, tightly packed together. This false Arum self-seeds spontaneously in the garden.

A robust perennial that thrives in the undergrowth of woodlands in a fresh, fertile, humus-rich but well-drained soil, the Arum italicum subsp. 'Marmoratum' is perfect for carpeting the base of shrub or tree beds in a garden that embraces nature. It can be associated with ferns, hostas, and bleeding hearts in a moist soil, or with Epimediums, bear's breeches, dead nettles, and periwinkles in a drier garden. It will also appreciate the surroundings of a water feature, as long as the soil it is planted in is not waterlogged all year round. It can also be planted en masse, under a row of evergreen shrubs.

Note: all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested due to the various saponins and alkaloids contained in the leaves, fruits, and rootstock. Use in phytotherapy is reserved for professionals.