Arum italicum 'Pictum': Winter Foliage Star & Easy Seed Propagation

Arum italicum 'Pictum' (Cuckoo Pint) delivers glossy white-veined green leaves all winter, a greenish-white spathe in spring, and brilliant orange berries by August. It's a perfect companion to hostas—tough, colorful, shade-loving.

Propagation by Seed (Not Division)

1. Collect orange berries as they fade; mash off pulp to reveal black seeds.
2. Sow ½ inch deep in a raised bed corner; leave over winter.
3. February: dense carpet of seedlings emerges.
4. Transplant to shady "grow-out" bed for summer.
5. Result: 80 new plants from 3 originals.

Unlike hostas (divide in spring), arum multiplies best from seed. A low-maintenance, high-impact shade perennial.