Italian arum
ExplorePlants
Italian arum
Arum italicum
The Italian arum is a unique plant with large, arrow-shaped leaves and a striking flower that looks like a hood. It grows in shady places and can be found in gardens and woodlands.
Habitat: Woodlands
Appearance
The Italian arum has glossy, dark green, arrow-shaped leaves with prominent cream or silver veins, often appearing in autumn. Its unique flower consists of a large, pale green-yellow, hood-like spathe surrounding a yellow flower spike, followed by striking clusters of bright red-orange berries.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassLiliopsidaOrderAlismatalesFamilyAraceaeGenusArum
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
3/5 · Moderate
Snaps
6
Interesting facts
It smells like rotting meat or dung to trick flies into visiting its flowers!
Its bright red-orange berries look tasty but are super poisonous if eaten!
The Italian arum's leaves sprout in fall and stay green all through the winter!
The plant's special flower can actually make its own heat, like a tiny heater!
Special abilities
Ability
Heat-Generating Flower
Italian arum flowers can warm themselves up to attract tiny flies and beetles, helping them pollinate the plant.
Ability
Stinky Attractor
The plant emits a foul, carrion-like odor that draws in specific insect pollinators, helping it reproduce.
Ability
Toxic Shield
Italian arum has irritating calcium oxalate crystals in all its parts, protecting it from most hungry animals.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 15-45 cm
- Spread
- 30-60 cm
- Flower Size
- 15-25 cm
- Bloom Season
- Spring
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- High
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Pollination Method
- Insect
Ecological connections
pollinates
Filter fly
Psychoda alternata
Attracted by warmth and smell
eats
Black slug
Arion ater
Can graze on the plant's leaves
eats
Blackbird
Turdus merula
Disperses seeds by consuming berries
Traits
Deciduous
Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
Flowering
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
Ornamental
Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
Shade Tolerant
Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
Forest
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
3/5 · Moderate
Don't touch or eat any part of the Italian arum, as it can make you feel sick.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Italian arum?
The easiest way to identify Italian arum is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How tall is Italian arum?
15-45 cm
How wide does Italian arum spread?
30-60 cm
How big are the flowers on Italian arum?
15-25 cm
When does Italian arum bloom?
Spring
Is Italian arum edible?
No
Is Italian arum toxic?
High
What is Italian arum's lifecycle?
Perennial
Snap Map
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