In a world where Arisaemas are seen by many as ugly, I've even heard them described as evil looking, Arisaema Candidissimum shines like a beacon in the darkness.
Since its discovery in 1914, it's become one of, if not the, most popular plants of the genus.
Every one who sees it, seems to fall in love with it even if they're not Arisaema fans generally.
When you've seen one in flower it's easy to see why.
You certainly couldn't describe the flower ( spathe ) as brash, but with their almost porcelain like whiteness suffused with pastel pink stripes, they have almost a hypnotic effect on people.
I've only ever heard two words used to describe this plant, beautifull and pretty, which just about says it all.
Fortunately for us, A.Candidissimum is a versatile plant being both hardy and easy to grow.
Allthough it isn't the only Arisaema that likes plenty of light, it's the only one I know of that will tolerate the hot afternoon sun, even if it does flop a bit.
At the moment, I have A.Candidissimum planted out in several areas of my garden.
These range from, deepish shade through to full sun from midday to about 6pm.
In deep shade, they perform poorly, being very economical with flowers and leaves.
In light shade to full sun, they really get into their stride, putting up numerous flowers with leaves up to 14 ins across at their widest point.
I should point out, that you might get this one year but not the next.
This is because Arisaemas have quirks, one of which is the ability to adjust its growth to the energy its expended and the prevailing conditions.
So, if growing conditions are good one year, you could get plenty of flowers and a good seed set.
However, the following year, good growing conditions or not, could see few flowers and no seed set at all.
This is the way the plant rebuilds all the energy expended the previous year on flowering and seed setting.
Very neat.
To sum up, A.Candidissimum, is a superb plant for expert or newcomer alike.
Planted in light shade to full sun and given a good feed and plenty of water when in growth, A.Candidissimum will prove to be one of the best plants for the exotics lover to grow. Posted by: Mike.