Italian arum (Arum italicum ‘Pictum’), also called Lord-and-Ladies or Large Cuckoo Pint, is the most popular variety and the one you will probably find at your local nursery or greenhouse. This particular variety of arum has dark green leaves with cream-colored veins, making it look almost marbled. The look and shape of the leaves look a bit like those of the arrowhead vine.
In the spring, the Italian arum produces a spadix or a yellow stem with a greenish-white hood called a spathe, resembling a Jack-in-the-pulpit. In the summer, orange-red berries replace the spathe on the spadix. The distinctive foliage begins to appear in the fall and remains throughout the winter. (In areas with extremely cold winters, the leaves will probably not appear until early spring.)
Hardy in zones 6-9, Italian arum is a great plant for areas in partial shade. (Where the summers are relatively cool, arums can be grown in full sun; however, the area must be kept moist.) The Italian arum is also great for the woodland garden. Wherever you decide to plant it, make sure that your Italian arum has very humus-rich soil with mulch to keep it cool. The soil needs to be kept moist from fall through spring and then allowed to dry out a bit in the summer.
You might believe that your Italian arum is succumbing to transplant shock as their lovely marbled leaves immediately lay down on the ground not long after you get them into the soil. Give them some water, cutback the sad-looking foliage, and then forget about them. They will return. Italian arums are pretty hardy plants and will multiply quite readily. If you want to divide and/or share your Italian arums, however, you might not want to do so in the middle of the summer. Instead, mark where they are planted in your garden and dig up some in the early fall while the plants are still dormant or when the leaves just start to emerge. You can also harvest the berries that are produced for seeding. Just clean off the pulp and plant outdoors. If you purchase seeds from a commercial seed company, plant them indoors 10-12 weeks before they are to be moved outdoors. Store your container of seeds in a cool place with temperatures around 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit. (Warning: It can take up to a year for the seeds to germinate; therefore, patience is a virtue.)
Slugs can sometimes plague your Italian arums. If this happens, just mulch around them with crushed eggshells. (Slugs cannot creep over the jagged edges.) Otherwise, Italian arums are quite carefree and will be a welcome sight in your winter garden. One note of caution: In warmer climates, Italian arum can be quite invasive and difficult to control or eradicate.
