Arisaema's "The day of the triffids".

Arisaema's "The day of the triffids".

This is a collection of Arisaema photos that I have taken, most have been grown in Australia but others were from over sea's, some are easy to grow other not so, finding the right position is the key to keep Arisaema's alive and multiplying, so a little research as to where they grow and come from needs to be done before planting.
Our first Arisaema was photographed in Ken and Leslie Gillanders garden in Tasmania, prior to them moving to a smaller property. Ken did not know its name, but it is certainly interesting.

Arisaema candidisima does very well in woodland gardens in Australia, photo from my old garden, it was severely affected by our drought we had and high temperatures of over 40deg celsius for days on end. I lost a large group except for one pip, it multiples readily and spreads underground when happy, not too dry but needs to be kept moist in summer months. Available from a lot of the smaller Nurseries.

Arisaema consanguineum taken in Phyll Bears garden, A. consanguineum has a few variants of coloured spathes. Phyll was the queen of Arisaema's. Arisaema speciosum was like a weed in her garden.

Arisaema speciosum coming up like triffids, they used to get up to about a meter tall with big, thick, dark brown, marbled stems and were more of a feature than the flowers they were magnificent so majestic. Phyll grew them under the high shade of a very large old blackwood tree and the tubers were planted shallowly, just virtually on the top of the soil, with a good top dressing of leaf mulch spread around the tubers in a moist soil. Phyll explained to my son then about 18 years old that if you planted the tubers too deep the tubers would rot, goodness knows how they held those tall stems and leaves upright they must have sent out strong surface root's. Arisaema speciosum dies after it flowers, but it usually will set seed and you may get a few pips remaining around the old spent tuber. Apologies for poor photo below, only one I had of Phyll's Arisaema speciosum in flower. (Above and Below)

Arisaema formosanum? taken in Val Popham's garden in New Zealand, so many of the Arisaema names were mixed up, especially the ones that we imported from China.

Arisaema japonicum photographed in Christchurch Botanical Gardens, near the little stream that runs through the Primula and woodland area. Moist, semi shaded position.

Above and below Lynn Mc Gough's Arisaema kiushianum two photo's taken same day at different stages of growth,  just before Lynn and Baz moved to NSW.

I can claim this Arisaema lingyunense with it's very dark almost black cobra head flower, an import from China. The spadix appendage, I used to curl up in the leaf it was so long, but tubers have gone backwards and it has not flowered for quite a few years (Above and Below)

Another Arisaema from Ken and Leslie Gillander's garden, Arisaema nepenthoides, growing in a wooded area with plenty of shade and it was quite moist.

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This dark photo was taken in the hall at The New Zealand Alpine Garden show. Arisaema peninsulae it could be variety atro-purpureum.

Arisaema propinquum at Wisley Gardens UK.

Arisaema ringens we have two forms of A. ringens growing in Australia the black nose form and a green nose form. All grow extremely well in a large pots that I repot every few years. They flower and look good for a very long time, putting on a beautiful display. They are readily available from Lynn's rare plants, Gary and Sue Reid at Allans Flat Victoria. Lynn grows all her Arisaema's in the garden that is usually heavily mulched and regularly digs them up to sell and I think that keeps the plants multiplying, disturbing them all the time, lifting and dividing. Green nosed Arisaema ringens below photo courtesy Lynn Mc Gough.

Arisaema sikokianum  no makings on the leaf above and below Arisaema sikokianum Takedae with the light green markings on the leaf. Arisaema sikokianum is not easy to keep in cultivation it seems to come and go. Best raised constantly from seed, which it does seem to set when happy in a well drained woodland position, don't dry seed out and plant as soon as it is ready.

We had a group of people go to China specifically to collect Arisaema seed quite a few years ago 1997. It was a subscribed trip and the seed was divided between the donors the collection number of the Arisaema above is GSE 97 9683 3 a soft green and pink flower sadly is no longer with me.
Below a slight variation of the above Arisaema collection number GSE 97 9655 2.

Arisaema taiwanense collection number BSW 200 Wisley Glass house U K taken 2001 

Arisaema thunbergii ssp Urashima taken at the Alpine Garden Society conference.

Arisaema thunbergii ssp Urashima here in my garden, woodland position but not too damp.

An easier Arisaema tortuosum.

A very difficult Arisaema wilsonii, difficult to grow and flower well and more difficult to keep plants from raised seed going for any length of time, but Lynn seems to have this one growing and flowering well from imported plants from China.

I find this Arisaema franchetianum from imported bulbs from China, needs to be repotted every year to keep it multiplying well. Grown in a good potting mix with plenty of leaf mulch added and a course sand mixed through the potting mix, when plants are dormant I repot and place pots in a shaded position open to rain. It grows quite well for me. 

Reference book The Genus Arisaema by Guy & Liliane Gusman