Zantedeschia seeds

LATIN NAME: Zantedeschia aethiopica

COMMON NAME: Arum Lily

The arum lily raises its white, trumpet-shaped spathes above the long-stalked, arrow-shaped leaves, and the whole plant stands in the neat, bold clumps. The clump-forming, evergreen or summer-dormant perennial carries the long-stalked, arrow-shaped or heart-shaped, glossy, dark-green leaves and the tall, slender stems with the white, cream, pink or yellow, trumpet-shaped spathes curling around the yellow spadices through the warm season, one of the fine, bold sights of the border and the cut-flower patch, drawing the bees. The flowers have a very long record as the fine, lasting cut flowers of the old florists, and the plant is a fine, historic presence of the border. It is a plant of the open, sunny to lightly shaded, deep, rich, moist ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The arum lily is a historic subject of the plant science, and the trumpet-shaped spathes keep showing up in the work on the bold perennials. The way the white, cream, pink or yellow, trumpet-shaped spathes unfold around the yellow spadices has been studied closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the bold perennials, the cut-flower plants and the members of the arum family. The arrow-shaped leaves and the clump-forming habit have also made it a fine study plant, and the arum lily is a regular subject of the work on the trumpet-shaped spathes of the warm world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The arum lily is a fine, bold plant of the border and the cut-flower patch. The white, cream, pink or yellow, trumpet-shaped spathes open through the warm season, one of the fine, bold sights of the border, drawing the bees, and the tall, slender stems come to the vases as the fine, lasting cut flowers of the old florists. It is one of the fine choices for the border, the waterside and the study collection, and it has been written up in the horticultural and the botanical papers for the trumpet-shaped spathes and the very long history. It is a fine, bold plant of the open, sunny to lightly shaded, deep, rich, moist garden.

Give the young plants the moist, rich bed, and the spathes will come in the seasons to come.

To grow the arum lily from seed, sow the small, brown seeds a centimetre down in the pot of fine, gritty soil, keep the pot in a warm, bright spot and water gently, then pot the young plants on as they fill the pot. The seedlings are up within a few weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun or the light shade and the deep, rich, moist ground, the trumpet-shaped spathes will come in the seasons to come.

Zantedeschia is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to southern Africa from South Africa north to Malawi.

This gorgeous and delightful new form of Zantedeschia aethiopica bears pearl white flowers with a delicately pink tinged throat. The graceful flowers are complimented by luxuriant, one meter tall, deep green glossy leaves. They make excellent cut flowers and are very popular as bridal flowers. They do well in large containers and are also well suited to being used as a focal plant in moist semi-shaded borders or as a marginal aquatic plant. It can grow in full sun if given enough water but does best in moist shady areas and responds well to regular applications of compost, kraal manure or organic fertilizer.