Arum lily

Arum lily is a clump-forming, ever-green, perennial herb that grows to 1.5 metres tall. It is poisonous to humans and animals.

Description

• Leaves are arrowhead-shaped, 30x60cm, dark green, leathery, and usually glossy.

• Flowers are white with a yellow centre, funnel shaped, and up to 25cm long appearing between October – December.

• Fruits are yellow/green berries that cluster at the base of the flower stem.

• New tubers grow from the rootstock.

• Primarily spreads vegetatively via rhizomes. Seeds are dispersed by birds, livestock, and water.

• Habitats include wetlands, riparian margins, drains, damp ground, pasture, forest, and coastal sandy habitats.

What you need to know

Arum lily forms dense patches, excluding other plants in wetlands, riparian margins, and damp forest gullies. It displaces valuable pasture species and all parts of the plant is poisonous. Arum lily is one of the National Poison Centre’s top ten poisonous plants; being consistently involved in unintentional or childhood poisonings.

If you think someone or an animal has ingested mistletoe, contact your local poison information centre on 0800 POISON (0800 764 766) or your local vet.

Management approach

Arum lily is declared an unwanted organism by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) because it is capable of causing harm to the natural environment, physical resources or human health in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

These species pose a high risk to our environment, economy, recreation, and cultural values.

Rules

Any species declared a pest cannot be sold or be in a place where plants are being sold. Pest plants cannot be propagated, bred, multiplied, communicated, released, caused to be released, or otherwise spread.

To help protect our environment:

Consider removing this invasive species from your property and consult your local council for appropriate disposal. Consider lower-risk alternatives for your garden, such as native plants.

Control

Site management

Follow up treated areas three times per year. Encourage natural regeneration of native plants or replant treated areas where possible after 2-3 treatments to establish dense ground cover and minimise reinvasion.

Physical control

Dig out

Plant parts requiring disposal: rhizomes

Contact your local council for appropriate disposal locations

Chemical control

Cut plant close to the ground and immediately treat the stump with herbicide gel containing glyphosate or metsulfuron-methyl.

Foliar spray with 20ml glyphosate plus 0.5g metsulfuron-methyl 3ml penetrant per 1L of water.

Caution: When using any herbicide or pesticide please read the label thoroughly to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.