Colocasia (elephant ears), Alocasia (upright elephant ear), Arisaema
(jack in the pulpit, cobra lily), Amorphophallus (Voodoo Lily), Pinellia (false jack in the pulpit), Arum (arum lily), Sauromatum (voodoo
lily), Remusatia (false elephant ear), Dracunculus (dragon arum lily), Arisarum (mouse plant), Biarum (half arum), Peltandra (arrow
root)
If you are looking for unique plants, then you've come to the right place.
The garden perennials known as Aroids are a group of very unique plants and are also some of the most popular perennial plants here at
Plant Delights due to their unusual spathe and spadix flower. Aroids thrive in a variety of habitats...some prefer a sunny spot and
others are woodland garden shade plants. Aroids are exotic plants that vary in size , shape and texture from the impressive elephant ears
(Alocasia, Colocasia) to the diminutive Mouse Plant (Arisarum) and green dragon
(Pinellia). If you are looking a really unique and unusual perennial for your garden, try an aroid.
Read More About Aroids
Members of the aroid family also include the voodoo lilies (Amorphophallus, Dracunculus, and Sauromatum), woodland
plants whose anatomically incorrect flowers appear out of nowhere a month before their leaves in the spring. Some aroids are bizarre
flowering perennials but many are prized just for their large, highly textural, deeply lobed, and sometimes variegated foliage. One of the most popular and widely
known aroids is Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema) that preaches the gospel every spring.
Plant Delights Nursery has one of
the largest collections of aroids and other unique plants for sale in the country. We are continually adding new aroid specimens to our
plant catalog so check back often.
Since 1988, Plant Delights Nursery has been the choice of serious gardeners
and plant collectors looking for the best and rarest perennial plants. We are pleased to have received the Perennial Plant Association
Retail Award in 2011, the American Horticulture Society Commercial Award in 2002, and to have been selected as one of the Best Mail Order
Plant Sources - Garden Design Magazine 2010. Welcome to our family of plant lovers!
Shoulda, coulda, woulda been an elephant ear. Remusatia is one of those splinter groups of fundamentalist elephant ears that broke off from the genus colocasia over differences in reproductive philosophy. Remusatia pumila 'Mini Mask' is a PDN selection with a particularly dark face on the 8" long x 5" wide leaves. Each leaf is highlighted by muted silver veins and a dark purple blush to the leaf back. Remusatia pumila is a slowly stoloniferous species that makes a 4' wide non-invasive mound in 5 years. The plant is made up of 14" tall leaf stalks that emerge in mid-June. In early spring, the spiky, fragrant, yellow flowers are produced inside the leaf canopy. In the wild, Remusatia pumila grows in humus-like soil and occasionally as an epiphyte. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
We are pleased to offer our collection of the hitchhiker elephant ear, Remusatia vivipara, from near the North Vietnam town of Son La where we found it growing in rocky, shaded slopes with Amorphophallus yunnanensis and Disporopsis longifolia. The large, often solitary elephant ear-like, olive green leaf is backed with large purple blotches...most prominent on the new leaves. Late in the season, mature plants produce bizarre Viagra-induced, rigidly upright stolons clothed with small tubercles. The sticky hitchhiking tubercles will produce new clones of the original plant. Mature plants produce an attractive bright yellow flower in late spring before the leaves emerge. The foliage, however, will not emerge before mid-June, so chill out! A dry spot in the winter months is the key to survival in the ground. In containers, allow the plant to go dormant and keep it above freezing. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(aka: Sauromatum guttatum, Arum cornutum, Typhonium venosum) This tropical-looking aroid is a relative of arisaemas. In the spring, the peculiar inflorescence (flower head) is the first sign of life...it's just life from another planet. Each sauromatum flower stalk is 3' tall and only 1" wide. As it unfurls, the inside is patterned with a rich violet and yellow...the ultimate in weird! A month later, a giant hand-shaped leaf, to 2' across, emerges from the bulb on a very mottled, green and black stem. After flowering, a unique seed head (resembling a 2" round alien space object) forms at the base of the leaf. Eventually, sauromatum corms multiply and make a nice colony...of weird plants. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(aka: Sauromatum giganteum) Typhonium giganteum is a rare Chinese aroid that is a must for collectors of the weird and wonderful. In early summer, the long, nearly white petioles emerge from the tuber to produce 1' long, green, arrowhead-shaped leaves. In midsummer, a truly bizarre 10" tall flower spike emerges on a short stalk at ground level. Each inflorescence is an upright, light purple pitcher with a velvety black lining. From the interior of the pitcher emerges the black "presidential" spadix. The giant voodoo lily does have a memorable fragrance for about a day...how else would an insect be lured to have sex in there? For over a decade we grew these in light shade where they performed well, but when we planted a patch in full sun, they exploded into growth like never before. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
(syn: Typhonium blumei) "Honey...I shrunk the amorphophallus." Thanks to Jim Waddick for sharing this stunning and easy-to-grow little aroid that is completely unknown to all but the most devout plant geeks. The glossy green, hastate-shaped leaves emerge in June to make a small, 1' tall (with age) x 1' wide clump. After the leaves emerge, Typhonium roxburghii begins producing flowers like a limp, dwarf Amorphophallus konjac, with an equally interesting aroma. This is a great specimen subject for the woodland garden. If you have neighbors that you hate, plant one near their open window for a great laugh! We previously offered this under the incorrect name of Typhonium divaricatum. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This introduction from California's famed Western Hills Nursery forms upright clumps composed of large, hastate, white-spotted leaves that, for us, reach 3' or taller when mature. We have not found this to grow as large as Zantedeschia 'White Giant'. In late spring, Zantedeschia 'Hercules' clumps are topped with 4' tall spikes ending in a large white chalice. Our plants are from the clone that has been grown for years at Strybing Arboretum. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
As we headed to the top of South Africa's famed West Cape Swartberg Pass, we stopped at 4,300' elevation when we saw a patch of Zantedeschia aethiopica growing in a wet seep along the steep mountain cliffs. Of several seedlings from different locations on our month long trek, this clone stood out in our trials for its luscious, tropical-looking, 21" long, heavily ruffled, dark green leaves and insanely huge 7" white flowers, starting in April (NC). For us, the clumps have topped out at just over 4' tall, while the flowers reach 4.5' in height. This is a truly impressive selection, although our quantities are somewhat limited...a 2013 Plant Delights introduction! Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
We first saw this giant calla at the California garden of plantsman/garden writer, Sonny Garcia, and were literally blown away. Lining the walkway were these giant, green and white speckled-leaved Zantedeschia aethiopica callas, whose foliage topped out above waist high. Even more amazing were the 6' tall flower stems towering above my head. The flower is the classic, large, creamy-white cup typical of the species...except Zantedeschia 'White Giant' has been doing some really good steroids. In our garden, we have only been able to muster 4' tall stems, 2' long x 1' wide foliage and 5.5' tall flower spikes, but that's still not bad. Keep in mind the height increases each year as the diameter of the tubers increase. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Zantedeschia 'Captain Camaro' is the latest in the Captain® series of tricked-out callas from Holland's Kapiteyn Breeding. Zantedeschia 'Captain Camaro' makes a clump of green foliage spotted with white flecks and edged in purple on emergence. The clumps are subsequently topped in late spring with 18" tall chalices of dark purple-black, edged with a pink flush. 'Captain Camaro' is an amazing specimen that can be mixed with gold and blue foliage plants for some killer combinations in the perennial garden. I cannot for the life of me figure out why this calla was named after a Chevrolet...hmmm. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Zantedeschia 'Captain Murano' is a 2010 release from Holland's Kapiteyn Breeding...the producers of the extensive Captain® Series of callas. Zantedeschia 'Captain Murano' produces white specked green leaves that serve as a foil for the 18" tall flower spikes in late spring. The flower spikes are then topped with pitchers (spathes) that are hot pink on top with an orange base, contrasted by a yellow spadix...seriously psychedelic! In the garden, slightly moist soils and part sun produce the best results. In climates north of Zone 7b, they can be lifted in fall and stored in peat moss during winter, where they are kept just above freezing. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
Zantedeschia 'Odessa' is a new calla lily hybrid with white-flecked glossy green leaves, topped in early summer with an abundance of glossy black purple chalice-like flowers on 20" tall spikes. We've got Zantedeschia 'Odessa' to trial for garden performance, and have a few extras for anyone else who'd like to join us. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
From Holland's Sande Breeding callas comes Zantedeschia 'Paco', with 18" tall flower stalks in late spring. Each floral pitcher has a lovely dark purple center with a mauvy pink border...very cool. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
We just love this amazing breakthrough in calla lily breeding from Holland's Cecilius Jan-Jochem Randag. Zantedeschia 'Picasso' is a robust grower, forming a 30" tall x 18" wide clump of large, white-spotted, arrow-shaped leaves. The clump is topped, starting in late May (NC) and continuing well through the summer, with up to two dozen 30" spikes, each ending in a vaaaze-shaped inflorescence of purple with a wide white lip...almost too sexy for our garden. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
We are proud to once again offer the very rare, white-flowered form of the Chinese Arisaema candidissimum which was thought to be extinct until 1998. Just like the pink form, the stalks emerge in June with large tripartite leaves that form a tropical-looking clump. Alongside the foliage emerge 15" tall flowering stalks topped with a single white hood, striped green and white toward the base. Perhaps this accounts for the popularity of this plant in parts of northern Alabama and eastern Texas. This easy-to-grow cobra lily makes a truly stunning sight after it becomes established. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
This rare offering is a cross of the Japanese arisaemas, Arisaema tosaense and Arisaema sikokianum. The offspring have a dark purple or green-veined spathe (hood) that resembles Arisaema sikokianum except for the extended hood tip from Arisaema tosaense. The "jack" spadix is intermediate between both parents, as is the 5-7 leaflet foliage. This offering of flowering-sized plants is extremely limited and will quickly sell out. Pot Size: 3.5" (24 fl. oz/709.77 ml)
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.jpg "Zantedeschia 'Odessa' (Odessa Calla Lily)")
.jpg "Zantedeschia 'Paco' (Paco Calla Lily)")
