A Winter Green: Arum italicum or Lords and Ladies

Yes, Virginia, there is life in the gardens during the cold winter months. Arum italicum, also known as Lords and Ladies or Orange Candleflower, emerges when most else has died down. Usually green marked with white, these arrow-shaped leaves begin to populate the ground before Christmas in my garden.  In the spring, demure, spathe-type flowers, similar to the flowers on the common, peace lily houseplant, appear. The flowers are not showy but they produce eye-popping fruit – thick sticks of bright orange berries in the early summer. By this time the leaves have receded, further emphasizing the orange berries.

Lords and Ladies is a perennial plant, preferring full sun to partial shade. It is hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5. All parts of the plants are toxic so wear gloves if handling and don’t eat the berries. Fortunately, deer and pests are not interested and I have yet to see any diseases.

When we moved to this house more than 20 years ago, the plants were under a beauty berry (Kolkwitzia amabelis), a large deciduous shrub about 6 feet tall. Winter sun filtered through the branches, encouraging good leaf production. However, the soil was poor, rocky, and dry – not at all the woodland conditions preferred by Lords and Ladies. This lack of moisture and nutrients must have kept them in line; they have survived every year but don’t spread. In the wild, where they may grow in moist, forest-like areas, they have been reported to be aggresive. The Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond categorizes Lords and Ladies as one of its “dirty dozen,” and warns gardeners not to plant them. The Maryland Invasive Species Council says it “misbehaves,” and the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia labels it a noxious weed, further stating that it is invasive in Northern Virginia.

So while I inherited Lords and Ladies that have not moved in 20 years in my garden, I am not recommending you purchase this plant. It is still available in local nurseries and plant catalogs but just because it is offered for sale does not make it a good choice for your garden. Instead, check out Plant NOVA Natives’ list of native plant alternatives for moist shady areas.