Italian Lords and Ladies
...
When we first looked at our little house, the Italian Lords and Ladies (arum italicum) in the back yard were putting on a lovely show. They were planted under the (dying) mulberry tree, where they looked very pretty.
I'm now beginning to think that these plants are Serious Garden Thugs.
Every single time I stick a shovel in the ground, I unearth arum bulbs. Hundreds and hundreds of arum bulbs.
From what I've read, this European native is considered a pretty serious pest in most of North America. They spread like crazy, and may cause contact dermatitis.
I'm really not sure what to do with the bulbs. Should I keep them, because they really are quite attractive and the shadier areas of my garden are so barren, or should I toss them into the "green bin" and send them off to be composted? Would it be horribly irresponsible to mail them to fellow gardeners?
I'm torn.
And I may as well warn blog readers that I'll probably post an almost-identical essay about my Calla Lilies, in the not-so-distant future.
When we first looked at our little house, the Italian Lords and Ladies (arum italicum) in the back yard were putting on a lovely show. They were planted under the (dying) mulberry tree, where they looked very pretty.
I'm now beginning to think that these plants are Serious Garden Thugs.
Every single time I stick a shovel in the ground, I unearth arum bulbs. Hundreds and hundreds of arum bulbs.
From what I've read, this European native is considered a pretty serious pest in most of North America. They spread like crazy, and may cause contact dermatitis.
I'm really not sure what to do with the bulbs. Should I keep them, because they really are quite attractive and the shadier areas of my garden are so barren, or should I toss them into the "green bin" and send them off to be composted? Would it be horribly irresponsible to mail them to fellow gardeners?
I'm torn.
And I may as well warn blog readers that I'll probably post an almost-identical essay about my Calla Lilies, in the not-so-distant future.
A year ago.
Last fall was about as sucky as this one.
The universe owes me a decent birthday next year.
Two years ago.
Come to think of it, the previous autumn was pretty rough, too.
The French mushrooms were a nice distraction.
Three years ago.
Like water off a duck's back.
Observations from an oil spill.
Four years ago.
Parallels and Perspective.
Last fall was about as sucky as this one.
The universe owes me a decent birthday next year.
Two years ago.
Come to think of it, the previous autumn was pretty rough, too.
The French mushrooms were a nice distraction.
Three years ago.
Like water off a duck's back.
Observations from an oil spill.
Four years ago.
Parallels and Perspective.
Comments
I've been concerned about them here in the Piedmont of South Carolina, though, so I can imagine how they'd spread in more benign places. Yikes.
I think I'd try to get rid of them if I could.
Best,
Lisa
Diana AQ
Good luck with the thugs. Don't let them bully you!
Annalisa
JoAnn
I'd try to get rid of them -- but not by putting intact bulbs in the compost pile. In my experience, unwelcome things thrive even better in the compost. There has to be a way to destroy them, I'm thinking. I'm feeling this way about the monkey grass someone planted long ago on this rental property where we live, and wishing that two years ago I'd undertaken a major eradication campaign. Of course, I didn't expect to still be here two years later...
It's not because they're not lovely, you understand, but because certain exotic invasives are really destructive to the home garden endeavor.