Arrow Arum plants (Peltandra virginica) are now emerging from marsh ponds like batteries of missiles, as you can see from this image taken yesterday:
By mid-summer, they’ll be a green tangle of lush and graceful arrow-tipped stalks, as shown by this image taken of this same colony on July 1 last year:
Of course, the “Arrow” in this plant’s name reflects its arrowhead leaf shape. The name Arum shows that it is part of the Arum family of plants. That group name is thought to derive from the Arabic word for fire because many of the family plants have toxic sap that burns those crazy enough to taste them. However, the edible fruits of Arrow Arum are loved by ducks, muskrats, and other marsh creatures. The way that this perennial native reproduces is interesting: It forms a nesting area for chloropidae flies, which get pollen-coated when they settle in; the flies, in turn, visit other plants and pollinate them. (Brooklin, Maine)