Nov 20, 2025
Of the plants of Beau Vista this is the most unusual. The dragon arum Dracunculus vulgaris, a tuberous herbaceous perennial that is native to rocky areas and hillsides in the central to eastern Mediterranean areas. It was introduced late into NZ as an ornamental in 1965 . It typically grows to 3' tall and features large, erect, leaves. Each leaf has 9-15 finger-like lobes, the claws of a dragon. The leaves cluster around stalk-like variegated pseudostem supporting a purple spathe. The central spadix or flower has a foul odour of rotten meat to attracts flies for pollination. The anatomy is similar to bananas. #plants #arum #spathe #spadix