Setting a striking pose in the sunken courtyard of the Front Range Glasshouses is a mature clump of Zantedeschia aethiopica. Native to temperate South Africa, this lush foliaged fleshy rhizomed plant exudes confidence in this cool, damp and shady situation. Here it remains semi-evergreen though in a less favourable position will die back during winter.

The spathe unfurls from green to a pure white, cool to the touch, with the yellow finger-like spadix arising from the centre of the funnel. The flowers are set above the leaf growth to a height of 1.6 metres.

It is now becoming a popular house plant and many cultivars of the species within the genus have arisen in a range of colours. These are sold for interior use and the larger cultivars for garden planting.

Zantedeschia aethiopica

Zantedeschia aethiopica