# Cuckoo-pint (*Arum maculatum*)

Cuckoo-pint is a special plant with a unique shape! It has a tall, green spadix surrounded by a beautiful hood-like leaf. This plant loves to grow in shady places and can be found in woodlands.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate
- **Habitat:** Woodlands
- **Also known as:** Lords and Ladies, Wild Arum

![Cuckoo-pint](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Arum_maculatum_0_700.jpg&width=800)

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arum_maculatum_0_700.jpg)

## Appearance

The Cuckoo-pint has large, glossy, arrow-shaped green leaves, often with dark purple spots. Its unique flower features a pale green to purple hood (spathe) enclosing a dark purple, club-like spike (spadix), making it stand out in woodlands.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Alismatales
- **Family:** Araceae
- **Genus:** Arum

## Interesting facts

- It's sometimes called 'Lords and Ladies' because of its regal, ancient-looking flower.
- Its shiny red berries look tempting but are highly toxic if eaten by humans or pets!
- The Cuckoo-pint flower can produce heat, making it warmer than the surrounding air!
- This plant changes its gender, deciding to be male or female based on its energy levels!

## Special abilities

- **Heat-Seeking Lure:** Cuckoo-pint can generate its own heat, making its spadix warm to the touch, attracting cold-blooded insects.
- **Fly Trap:** Cuckoo-pint has a smooth, slippery inner spathe that temporarily traps small flies to ensure pollination.
- **Odor Beacon:** Cuckoo-pint can produce a strong, foul smell to attract specific insect pollinators like flies and gnats.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 15-25 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** High
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Moth Fly (*Psychoda alternata*) — trapped by its flower to transfer pollen
- **Eaten by:** Blackbird (*Turdus merula*) — disperses seeds after consuming its red berries
- **Pollinates:** Fungus Gnat (*Sciara militaris*) — attracted by the plant's unique smell and heat

## Traits

- [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate

Do not touch or eat any part of this plant, as it can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Cuckoo-pint?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Cuckoo-pint?

10-40 cm

### How big are the flowers on Cuckoo-pint?

15-25 cm

### When does Cuckoo-pint bloom?

Spring

### Is Cuckoo-pint edible?

No

### Is Cuckoo-pint toxic?

High

### What is Cuckoo-pint's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Cuckoo-pint pollinated?

Insect

## Where to spot

- [Schlossparks Augustusburg & Falkenlust (Brühl)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/augustusburg-falkenlust-palace-parks-bruehl) — Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Cuckoo-pint: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cuckoo-pint)