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plant ID please? ID is Italian Arum Latin: Arum italicum

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posted 5 years ago

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These would have just survived low temps into the single digits and a foot or more of snow cover.
We saw them on the edge of the road while out walking to the river.
The area where they were was an old old housesite with nothing left but wisteria!, jonquils and a lot of vinca.
I wonder if this plant is another yard ornamental or something else entirely?

I tried to show how the leaves are each separate and emerge in a circular form...I didn't dig one to see what the roots might be like.

They were not damaged by the cold or snow but looked almost tropical to me, like something that would be a houseplant rather than an edge of the woods plant.

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Skandi Rogers

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posted 5 years ago

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If they were here they would be Arum maculatum it has several colour forms, I have one that looks exactly like yours there and it just went through -16C with no snow cover without taking any damage.

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Nancy Reading

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posted 5 years ago

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I was thinking Arum too....

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Judith Browning

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posted 5 years ago

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Skandi Rogers wrote:If they were here they would be Arum maculatum it has several colour forms, I have one that looks exactly like yours there and it just went through -16C with no snow cover without taking any damage.

Thank you! that's it or so very very close in the right direction

I have never heard of it and I see now that it is here in Arkansas.
Italian Arum
Latin: Arum italicum

https://www.uaex.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/italian-arum-2-10-06.aspx

Apparently poisonous though?
Weirdly enough, philodendron is the first thing my husband thought when we saw it and I said no way, that's tropical and a house plant.

"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."-Rumi
"It's all one song!" -Neil Young

Nancy Reading

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posted 5 years ago

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Judith, according to the ferns Arum roots can be eaten. They contain oxalates which can be destroyed by dessication or cooking. These are also present in Colocasia sp. and Rhubarb. If there were plenty I'd be inclined to try a little just because....

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Judith Browning

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Nancy Reading wrote:Judith, according to the ferns Arum roots can be eaten. They contain oxalates which can be destroyed by dessication or cooking. These are also present in Colocasia sp. and Rhubarb. If there were plenty I'd be inclined to try a little just because....

thanks! well worth investigating further then. Here's a quote from your link if anyone else is interested...

The plant contains calcium oxylate crystals. These cause an extremely unpleasant sensation similar to needles being stuck into the mouth and tongue if they are eaten, but they are easily neutralized by thoroughly drying or cooking the plant or by steeping it in water

I let Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) pop up all over so should not be worried about this one then...more of an issue would be finding it some shade.

"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."-Rumi
"It's all one song!" -Neil Young

Nancy Reading

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Posts: 14559

Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland. Nearly 70 inches rain a year

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posted 5 years ago

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Judith,
of course edible does not mean palatable or nutritious!
Let us know what it is like if you try it.

PS. thanks for pie!

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Judith Browning

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posted 5 years ago

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I like that this plant is holding it's own against vinca...there is rampant wisteria just on the other side of the gravel road along with jonquils and more vinca.
Next hike I would like to see how much arum is there...we only noticed the one large patch the other day.

It sounds like it divides from corms and I assume it might go dormant late summer since it sends up new leaves in the fall?
I'll wait until then to decide about digging some and in the meantime I should be able to see it flower early summer.

Actually cooking up a root might take more research and thought.
I've even gotten lazy about poke...so much water and boiling

I love it though and used to eat it several times every early spring.

Skandi and Nancy, thank you both for the quick ID and confirmation.

"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."-Rumi
"It's all one song!" -Neil Young

Judith Browning

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Location: a temperate, clay/loam spot on planet earth, the universe

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posted 1 year ago

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We stop to visit this plant over the winter and early spring before it's taken over by vines. Have yet to find the old house but judging from the jonquils, spirea, forsythia along with the vinca and wisteria it must have been a nice yard and older homestead

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"We're all just walking each other home." -Ram Dass
"Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."-Rumi
"It's all one song!" -Neil Young

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