Hardy aroids are so much easier to grow than their exotic and expensive cousins – but they look just as goodThe post-pandemic years have seen an absolute explosion of interest in exotic aroids. With their dramatic, architectural foliage and dazzling leaf patterns, they have sold for tens of thousands of pounds online – not even rooted plants, but individual stem cuttings. This has caused an unprecedented boom, with growers in places like Indonesia and Thailand all rushing to propagate them to satisfy a surging global market. Yet while so many in the west have been clamouring for these rare plants that originate on the other side of the world, we have somehow managed to overlook the spectacular hardy aroids that grow literally outside our back doors here in the UK.Hardy aroids look so remarkably like their tropical cousins that in a botanical lineup even I – a south-east Asian botanist – would find it tricky to tell them apart. But they are often a tiny fraction of the cost and much easier to grow. Just stick them in the ground in moist, shady spots and for most of these seasonal bulbs that’s all you will need to do. Continue reading…
Source : theguardian.com
Read more…Plant a spectacular native with tropical looks
