Helicodiceros muscivorus (Pig Butt Arum)

Part Sun to Light ShadeZone: 7-10, possibly colder 12" tall Origin: Mediterranean Europe

NEW! You can bet this common name wasn't coined by a Wall Street marketing firm. Helicodiceros, an easy-to-grow first cousin to the famed aroid Dracunculus vulgaris, grows on the rocky coastal cliffs on the Mediterranean Islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and the Balearics. The offsetting tubers give rise to the 1' tall, duck-foot-shaped, green, three-dimensional foliage, which emerges in very early spring. Later in spring, the spectacular tan- and purple-speckled bud emerges from the foliage, then opens parallel to the ground as a large flesh-colored spathe highlighted by purple tails (spadix) which emerge from the "crack." The open flower resembles the backside of a flatulent pig...in image and in fragrance. If you grow this, it's best not to mention it on your eHarmony ® profile. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml)