Italian Arum (Arum italicum) on Mar 26, 2018
Submitter has sample
EDRR Status: Local expert notified
Description of specimen
Mature italian arum growing in multiple locations. Clusters of 8 foot diameter as well as more solitary shoots.
Thanks for reaching out! Italian arum is a tough invasive to control. If it's a big infestation, containment is certainly a more realistic goal. Once established, arum is difficult to eradicate. Manual digging or herbicide spraying are temporary control measures because of the difficulty of eliminating all the underground tubers. You might already know this, but all parts of the plant are poisonous if consumed and cause skin irritation when touched, so care should be taken when handling the plant (e.g., wear gloves and wash hands). I've provided some useful links below that have control information. If you have further questions, please let me know.
https://kingcountyweeds.com/2016/03/02/italian-arum-march-2016-weed-of-the-month/
http://extension.wsu.edu/sanjuan/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2014/04/Italian-Arum-brochure.pdf
https://www.swcd.net/news/italian-lords-and-ladies/
Kind regards,
Tyler Pedersen
Invasive Species Program Coordinator
971-371-0277
Tyler Pedersen
March 26, 2018, 10:25 a.m.