Eminium spiculatum

Eminium spiculatum is a small perennial in the arum family, Araceae. Its native range runs from the eastern Mediterranean to Iran. Kew classes it as a plant of subtropical regions. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. In the wild, it grows in dry, rocky places. It survives from year to year through an underground tuber. Plants reach about 1 foot [0.3 metres] in height.

Flowers appear from May to June. Each plant bears separate male and female flowers. Their foul smell draws flies, which help pollinate them. This scent is worth considering when choosing a garden site. Fruit develops near the base of the flowering stem. The plant becomes dormant in late summer. A warm, dry spell during this rest helps support flowering the next year.

Give this species full sun and deep, fertile soil. A light sandy or loamy soil suits it well. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline conditions. Good drainage matters, since it does not cope with wet ground. Soil can be dry or moist during growth. The plant can also withstand drought. Its need for dry summer rest shapes where it grows best. PFAF lists USDA hardiness zones 7–10. It reports cold tolerance of about −5 to −10°C in well-drained soil. Colder sites need protection rather than reliance on that temperature range alone.

A bulb frame or unheated greenhouse offers a suitable growing space. Outdoors, a south-facing wall can provide a sheltered site. Rock gardens are another option where summers stay dry. It can also grow in prepared garden beds with suitable drainage. Sow ripe seed in a greenhouse, or sow in early spring. Keep seedlings under glass through at least their first winter. Plant them out during their late-summer rest. Divide established plants in that same dormant period.

PFAF records cooked roots as a minor food use. It also warns against assuming that raw material is safe. That warning draws on calcium oxalate hazards in related plants. The source does not confirm poisoning for this species itself. Its food record should therefore be read with caution. PFAF lists no known medicinal uses or other practical uses. It does not flag the species as weedy.