About
Arisaema ciliatum is a tuberous perennial that can reach heights of up to 90 cm. This plant features a solitary leaf made up of 8 to 20 leaflets, each tapering into a slender extension. During the summer months, it displays a spathe that can be purple, green, or dark purple, adorned with multiple white stripes and accompanied by a long purple tail measuring approximately 20 cm.
About the genus
Arisaema consists primarily of tuberous perennials characterized by palmately lobed foliage. They feature unique tubular, hooded spathes that enclose small true flowers clustered at the base of a club-shaped or filamentous spadix. After flowering, these plants produce a spike bearing red berries.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, North-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H4
Plant details
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden
- Native to
- SC China
- Toxicity
- Humans/Pets: Harmful if eaten, skin/eye irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Plant the tubers 20cm deep in winter or spring, into moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil in a cool, partially shaded site. Mulch in winter. Can also be grown in deep pots in a cold greenhouse
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by sowing seed in containers in a cold frame in spring or autumn, or by removing offsets in late summer
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to slugs and vine weevil
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free