Friar's Cowl
Arisarum vulgare
Family: Araceae
What it is like
Arisarum vulgare is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in leaf from October to July, in flower in May. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.5
Where it is found
Grassy places, open ground and rocky ground.
S. Europe.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Root - cooked. The acrid juice should first be removed by thorough and repeated washing leaving behind a nutritious and innoxious residue. Thorough drying or cooking will also destroy any harmful elements of this root. The root is frequently used as an emergency food in times of scarcity, it is about the size of a walnut. One report suggests that the leaves might be edible. If they are they must be well cooked first.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 3
A good ground-cover plant for a shady place.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
Prefers a woodland soil or a sandy loam with leafmould. Grows well in shady rather moist places. A Mediterranean plant, it commences growth in the autumn and, since the leaves are not very hardy, the plant is best grown under protection. It should succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of the country, if grown in a sheltered woodland. The plant is hardy to about -10°c for short periods but should be given a good mulch in the winter. The plant becomes dormant in spring/summer.
Propagating it: Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a shady part of the greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the spring if this is possible. Sow stored seed in early spring. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse and plant out when dormant in the summer once the tuber has reached a reasonable size. Division in spring after the plant dies down.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; Ground Cover;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
The plant contains calcium oxylate crystals. These cause an extremely unpleasant sensation similar to needles being stuck into the mouth and tongue if they are eaten but they are easily neutralized by thoroughly drying or cooking the plant or by steeping it in water.