Guide to growing garden plants - Dracunculus (Dragon Arum)
Members of Dracunculus are small to medium plants that are hardy perennials.
They bloom in the early months of summer with blood red flowers, that have a strong harmful odour.
Common names for Dracunculus include Dragon Arum and Dragon plant.
How to grow Dragon Arum (Dracunculus)
When growing Dragon Arum outdoors, the seed should be sown into a shaded part of the garden that has good drainage in the Autumn. The seed should be lightly covered with topsoil. Dracunculus likes to grow in an organic soil. If you first plan to start Dragon Arum off indoors then preparation should be started at the end of winter to the beginning of spring. It will take anything from one to six months for the plants to germinate at a temperature of 13 to 18 degrees Centigrade. Once ready the young Dragon Arum plants should be planted in the garden with a spacing of about 30cm.
Caring for Dracunculus plants
Once Dracunculus is established it is important to keep the soil moist that the plant is growing in (it can be left alone during the winter months). If you require more Dragon Arum's then they can be divided in the autumn.