GROW COBRA LILIES TO ADD AN AIR OF MYSTERY TO YOUR GARDEN

Described by one enthusiast as “Beautiful and exotic” these relatives of the calla lilies will certainly add an unusual touch to any garden. There are many different types as you can see from the two pictures. To learn more about these intriguing plants read the article by Ciscoe Morris which I found on the Seattle Times website.

Arisaemas (cobra lilies) are among the most cherished plants in my garden. These mysterious-looking relatives of calla lilies look like something you would expect to see in a sorcerer?s garden. No two varieties are alike, and while most feature spectacular exotic-looking foliage, it?s the beautiful, yet somewhat sinister-looking hooded spathe flowers that make these plants so intriguing.
The flower is made of a spathe (the hooded part) and the spadix, the stalk with the reproductive parts inside the spathe.
A spooky favorite is Arisaema urashima. With an 18-inch-long, tongue-like appendage protruding from a dark-purple spathe, this variety looks like a cobra about to strike.

Arisaema wilsonii is another fantastic specimen. This one reaches 3 feet tall with a striped white-purple hood nestled in a covering of black-purple mottled leaves.

If you prefer a flower that is a little less menacing, Arisaema kelung-insularis features purple and white striping that looks dazzling planted where it can be illuminated by early morning sun shining through the flower.
Unfortunately, one of the most enchanting Arisaemas also is one of the hardest to grow. Arisaema sikokianum casts its bewitchingly beautiful spell in early spring when its gorgeous deep-purple and white-striped spathe opens to reveal a rounded, snow-white spadix cradled within. Unlike most other species of Arisaema that require only well-drained soil and bright shade, Arisaema sikokianum resents our wet winters and requires almost perfect drainage in order to survive and perform its magic the following spring.