Arum

Arum hygrophyllum

This lovely thing is Arum hygrophyllum. 

Joyful bright green lanceolate leaves with a long narrow light green hooded spathe edged in a tonal plummy purple, with a deep purple spathe within.  It is a gracefully gothic plant, growing to around 50cm (or more in the right conditions).  Early Winter flowering that continues through to the Spring makes it a valuable garden plant and the cut flowers last extremely well in a vase. 

We have it growing in a sandstone trough, that has good soil and gets a bit of water.  Though it is native of Crete and Libya, so may tolerate drier conditions… but it’s common name is Water Arum, so maybe not.