Arisaema tortuosum

Arisaema tortuosum, the Whipcord Cobra Lily, is a distinctive plant in a genus of extremely distinctive plants. The tallest of all the Arisaemas, when mature its inflorescence can reach a staggering 2m in height and is a dramatic and impressive sight. Towering atop an extremely tall peduncle, its large funnel-shaped spathe is green and veined with pale whitish-green and from the mouth of the hood-like tube arises the elongated spadix which curves abruptly skywards and with its long extended appendix gives the plant its whipcord name. The colour of the spadix is variable and can be either green or purplish but our ones tend to be green.

Native to the Himalayan region including India, Nepal and Bhutan and extending into Tibet and Sichuan and Yunnan in China it grows at elevations between 1300-2900m and is extremely cold tolerant. It is hardy in the UK providing it has a freely-draining yet humus-rich substrate and a good thick mulch during the winter months. To avoid rotting, the tubers should ideally be surrounded by generous handfuls of sharp sand when planting.

Arisaema tortuosum does best in a warm, sheltered south-facing aspect in semi-shade. Such a tall plant is best protected against strong winds. It is perfectly at home in a woodland setting and grows as far north as Scotland. With its extraordinary height, alien-on-the-lookout spathe and exotic palmate and deeply-divided foliage it is an indispensible addition to that ever-growing must-have list.