Biarum tenuifolium

This strange little Mediterranean geophyte is right out of "Honey, I Shrunk the Arums." One of the easiest species to cultivate in the garden, Biarum tenuifolium starts growing in late summer/early fall with a bizarre 3" tall inflorescence (all the floral stuff). The inflorescence consists of a short black hood housing a extraordinarily well-endowed spadix (a "long dong"), although it smells like long dung. The 6" long, narrow, green, ruffled leaves emerge in late winter and go dormant by early summer. If you find arums too large, petunias too showy, and you enjoy the smell of rotten meat, biarums are for you!