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Diane Dillard, Member of Folsom Garden Club
I live in Sacramento County, CA and have a volunteer plant popping up in many locations in my yard these days. I researched the plant as it seems to be invasive. It is commonly known as an Italian Arum and has other colorful names including Italian Lords and Ladies, large cuckoo pint, and orange candle flower. It is a species of flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the Araceae family. The plant is native to the British Isles and much of the Mediterranean region, and native to much of Europe, northern Africa, western Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. It can be found throughout the wet regions of the western United States including 25 counties in California.
The Italian Arum is an aggressive growing plant and can reach 12-18” tall. The horticulture industry (florists) highlights this plant as a desirable ornamental. The attractive variegated leaves are shaped like an arrow with a pale green midrib and veins. A white flower emerges with yellow cream center stem.
Green “fruits” emerge that are clustered on spikes. The fruits eventually turn orange/bright red and contain seeds that spread the plant to new areas. Stems extend below the soil surface. Plants form white tubers and roots and are difficult to remove. While it sometimes dies back during the summer, it lives for many years. It can create dense patches that are visible in fall through winter.
The National Park Service refers to this as a non-native plant and is kind of “like an unwelcome night-owl roommate who raids the fridge while everyone sleeps and co-opts shared spaces with their stuff.” The Italian Arum is highly invasive. All plant parts are toxic and the parts contain toxic calcium oxalates in needle shaped crystals. According to the California Invasive Plant Council research, if consumed, it may cause serious harm, allergic reaction or death to adults, children and animals. Other sources report that ingesting a small amount can lead to unpleasant symptoms including dermatitis, oral irritation, drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. In severe cases, the swelling from the crystals can obstruct your dog’s airway. It is reported as being unpalatable and toxic to livestock. For these reasons, some states have this plant on the noxious plant list.
The first step is to make a positive identification. There are look-alike plants including Wapato, Stink Lily, Jack in the pulpit, and Calla Lily, especially while not in flowering season.
Controlling Italian Arum is difficult. Birds disperse the berries so seedlings can pop up anywhere. It pops up and lives happily among other plants, and eventually displaces and excludes native plants. After removing the plants, new plants will regrow in the same spot unless steps are taken to prevent them. Plan for at least 2-3 years of monitoring and maintenance. Italian Arum can be controlled when herbicides are used according to label instructions.
To eradicate this plant, act immediately. WEARING GLOVES, dig out individual plants and sift the soil. Remove all the stems, tubers, and root pieces. Dispose of all parts of the plant in the trash and DO NOT compost. As a minimum, cut off and dispose of berry clusters before they ripen. Look for shoots in fall and winter, flowers in the spring, and spikes in late spring/summer. Act before or during flowering period to keep it from spreading seeds.
Residents are asked to report (using iNaturalist or Calflora*) if this species is observed in wildland habitat as they may be able to do something about it, or at least be aware of its presence.
*Footnote: Calflora is an on-line free database providing information on over 8,000 plants and 3.1 million observations in California. iNaturalist is an online free social network of people sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature.
Photo credits:
Flower: Dr. Amadej Tmkoczy , CalPhotos, Berkeley, 2007
Leaves: Barry Rice, Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, Invasive.org, sarracenia.com, Bugwood.org, American River Parkway, Sacramento, image #5469661, 2024
Spikes: J. Parker, Buy Arum Italicum, J Parker Dutch Bulbs, www.jparkers.co.,uk, & Diane Dillard, 2024 & Noxious Weed Control Board, Washington State
References:
1) Frey, Mark, Autumn Invader: Italian Arum, U.S. National Park Services Exotic Plant Management Team Liaison, National Capital Region, nps.gov, Feb 2, 2024
2) Burger, Jutta, Arum Italicum, 2021 SummerCal-IPC Dispatch, California Invasive Plant Council, cal-ppc.org, by Jutta Burger, CAL-IPC, and Alex Stubblefield, PlantRight, Volume 29, Issue 2, April 15, 2021
July 2024
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