Re: Advise in planting Arum seeds

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Greetings!

 

I grow many Arum species in the Great Central Valley of California. The Great Central Valley flora is nearly 70% non-native invasive plants, all from the Mediterranean or other Mediterranean climes. We have cool wet winters and dry hot summers. All my Arum species produce seed, and like Pete said, the fruits hang on for a long time. I have never seen any birds consume or collect the fruits (our scrub jays are collectors, hiding acorns and walnuts for later). If the fruit falls on the ground in summer where there is leaf litter, and afternoon and evening shade the it will germinate the following March, April or May. The native soils are clay loams with lots of alkali.

 

In pots I have also sown the fruits directly from the parent into loose, sandy soil (peat/sand/pumice) with lots of leaf litter or compost with the same result.

 

The species I have grown this way are:

A. dioscoridis dioscoridis

A. palestinum

A. palestinum (Mt. Carmel ecotype)

A. sintenesii

A. hygrophilum

A. italicum

A. cyrenaicum

 

I hope this helps,

Christopher

 

 

 

Hi Tom,

 

In the Mediterranean the ripe fruits stay on the peduncle for a long time, and generally are collected by thrushes or blackbirds (Turdus spp.) late in summer, as the autumn/winter rains begin. The seed passes through the bird, either via regurgitation or through faeces, but the important thing is that the red pericarp and pulpy mesocarp is removed

 

The fruits  should be cleaned of the pulp and sown on the surface of a mineral-soil rich mix and covered to ca. ½ inch with small chippings (1/8-1/4 inch), ideally limestone. Water them well and stand the pot someplace shady. Keep an eye on water; don’t let them become totally dry, but equally overwatering is detrimental. They will begin to germinate immediately they encounter moisture but, depending on the species, will either produce an aerial shoot (eophyll) soon after germination (most), or will concentrate on root/tuber production and produce an aerial shoot very early in the new year (maculatum, cylindraceum, orientale).

 

Very best

 

Pete

 

 

Dear Aroiders:

 

            I just returned from a trip to the Balkans and collected an Arum in fruit in Durres, Albania.  Since these berries were mature in the midst of their dry Mediterranean style summer and if shed directly in such dry conditions could surely not germinate I am assuming that they must somehow survive without germinating until the rains begin.  Does anyone know what I should do to get these seeds to germinate?  Do they need to be stored?  Planted directly?  Treated in any particular way?  I would appreciate you help.  Emily is coming in tomorrow to deal with them so if you have some advise I would love to hear from you.

 

Thanks!

 

Tom

 

Pete:  I have copied both you and Marija Bedalov since I know that both of you have had direct experience with Arum.

 

Tom

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