I only grow a few species of Arisaema, and I am already hooked. This is the time they bloom, sending up their strange 'flowers' before their leaves fully expand.
They mostly come from east Asia, and there are many species, so some can come from tropical conditions, others from the Himalayas, and others from temperate regions. For the most part they grow in the shade of moist forests, and given the large number of species and the wide variety of climates it is not too difficult to find species appropriate for a woodland garden, wherever you live.
The 'flower' is actually a complex arrangement of male and female flowers arranged at the base of a structure called the spadix, which can take a variety of shapes. In Arisaema sikokianum (above) the spadix forms a bright white bulb, while in most species it is a tapered cylinder. The hooded structure is called the spathe, and can be various colors. In Arisaema candidissimum it is a beautiful pink and white, while in other species the tip can be very elongated to form a tail of sorts, as in A. fargesii and A. consanguineum. In addition to the flowering structure (usually called the inflorescence) the leaves are a major attractive feature. In A. consanguineum they form a large umbrella-like structure, as tall as three feet, and in A. sikokianum they are beautifully marbled. Arisaema candidissimum
Arisaema consanguineum
Growing Arisaemas is easy, they need humus enriched soil and moisture throughout the year, although they can dry considerably when they are dormant. It is true that their season is fairly short, although the leaves can last for three or four months, but we don't complain about the short season of crocus or daffodils.
