Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: ChrisB on September 10, 2010, 01:36:16 PM

Title: Red Berries
Post by: ChrisB on September 10, 2010, 01:36:16 PM

I was out to visit Bothal Church yesterday with a group of people, and we came across these berries in the churchyard.  No foliage at all, just the stems and the red berries.  So I reckon they are either from a bulb or a parasitic plant of some kind.  Does anyone have any idea what they are?

Title: Re: Red Berries
Post by: Maggi Young on September 10, 2010, 01:44:16 PM

 A nice colony of Arum maculatum fruits,known as  'Lords and ladies' , Christine.

Title: Re: Red Berries
Post by: Martin Baxendale on September 10, 2010, 03:58:01 PM

And VERY poisonous, just in case anyone was thinking of making jam with them  :)

Title: Re: Red Berries
Post by: ChrisB on September 10, 2010, 07:51:55 PM

Thanks folks.  I'll pass the info along.  They looked quite amazing.  Lovely churchyard, a huge Sequoia growing beside the building.  Must have been planted a looooooooooong time ago.  I could hardly see the top.

Title: Re: Red Berries
Post by: Rodger Whitlock on September 11, 2010, 10:14:30 PM

All the arums familiar to me have seed heads of much the same appearance. Not only Arum maculatum, but A. nigrum, A. dioscoridis, and A. creticum.

A flower arranging-minded friend oohed and aahed over those of A. dioscoridis and was heart broken when I explained that the seed heads don't last. When all the berries have ripened, the seed head starts to disintegrate. Not suitable for a flower arrangement, unless it's a very short-lived one.

Title: Re: Red Berries
Post by: Maggi Young on September 11, 2010, 10:33:38 PM

Quote from: Rodger Whitlock on September 11, 2010, 10:14:30 PM

All the arums familiar to me have seed heads of much the same appearance. Not only Arum maculatum, but A. nigrum, A. dioscoridis, and A. creticum.

A flower arranging-minded friend oohed and aahed over those of A. dioscoridis and was heart broken when I explained that the seed heads don't last. When all the berries have ripened, the seed head starts to disintegrate. Not suitable for a flower arrangement, unless it's a very short-lived one.

 The fruiting heads of Arisaemas, though,  last intact for a long time... long enough to please a flower arranger, methinks..... And since they can be very large and extremely striking, I'd think they were a flower arrangers dream!

Title: Re: Red Berries
Post by: ChrisB on September 12, 2010, 07:56:35 PM

Hadn't thought about them for flower arranging, but the stems looked very stout, and the berries were incredible.  They do have the look of danger about them though1