Daffodils Leaping out

 The last couple days have been extremely warm, but I was still surprised by how fast things moved along. I had no idea the daffodils were ready to bloom. This morning when I looked out side there were patches of yellow all around where the daffodils had already opened. The crocus had been open for a while, peeping over the brown leaves and around brave stray blades of grass. But really, the crocus were amazed this morning when they opened their eyes to sunny daffodils.

 Some tight pointed daffodils have not opened yet, but it won't be long, especially if these temperatures keep up.

                                                    Daffodils tower over the fairy house .

Though the Arum italicum's variegated leaves look lovely at the feet of the daffodils, I could never recommend planting it . Once you have it, you will have it forever. It is impossible to get rid of and ever year seems to grow thicker so that it crowds other things out.

Arum italicum

I have grown this beautiful Arum for a number of years and the clump slowly increases in size. It has these beautiful leaves all winter, flowers in the spring with a jack-in-the-pulpit type flower, and red berries follow the flower.It dies down in summer. I have been pleased with it from the very first.

Now I read that it is horribly invasive and almost impossible to get rid of. When it is dug up, invariably some small corm  is left behind or seeds germinate to rise again. I did move the clump once and was surprised when a new clump started where I dug the old one up, so I guess it is true that moving it just spreads it. I do know also that the seed germinate readily as I have planted them in a pot. It is also a fact that invasive plants frequently behave for years til one day they begin to spring up everywhere. Maybe they try to lull you to sleep with good behavior and then start galloping away when you are napping.

Reports from the internet indicate that people who have had it in their gardens 18-20 years will fight it the rest of their lives. It forms a thick mat that closes off the growth of other plants. It seems largely unresponsive to herbicide applications (Roundup). It is reported to be cause allergic reactions, particularly in handling seed.

So what should I do? I do not want to be remembered as the idiot who released a menace on the landscape (witness-Kudzu), but at the same time I do like this plant. Maybe I will move it to a pot and be vigilant about any that are left behind.

It is so beautiful and easy to grow, maybe sort of like a mink, till you try to pet it.

Arum Italicum for Beautiful Winter Foliage

 

 

This is Arum italicum and it is a wonderful foliage plant. It retains these gorgeous leaves all winter. In spring there will be white flower spathes followed by gorgeous red berries. I started with 3 bulbs and over the years they have multiplied into fairly large clumps. I moved them once and apparently left behind a bulb or two and those have developed into a nice clump also.