IT Has Emerged!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for ... the emergence of the fabled Dragon Arum who first bloomed last year, its second, in the Woodland Garden. Those of you who are regular readers probably recall this post from late last May when it unveiled itself in its full smelly glory to the world, much to the delight of flies from all over the neighborhood. (But if, by chance, you're not already acquainted with this florally bizarre member of the Arum family, I encourage you to use the tag links and check out just what this will eventually become.)

Astute observers (or merely awake ones) will note, that unlike last year when we posted its emergence, that there are now three spears piercing the ground where it's planted. This development has us really excited at the possibility of at least two, if not three blooms this year! The more, the stinkier, we say. And we are definitely planning on putting in at least 2-3 more of these bulbs in the fall, along with some other types of Arums that we have lusted after for a few years now (most notably Arum italicum). The Araceae are a fascinating family of plants, which among their relatives include the common Philodendron, Monstera Deliciosa ('Swiss Cheese Plant'), the various Jacks in the Pulpit, Anthuriums, the incredible Titan Arum, Calla Lilies and even the lowly aquatic duckweed, which I used to grow in my aquariums when I was a kid. I have to say that Wikipedia link is a great source of intriguing information about Arums, with links to some great pictures of the various species. I had never dreamed that one of the most common, easiest of houseplants, the Philodendrons and Nepthytis belonged to this extremely varied and often bizarre plant family!

Ain't Wikipedia grand?