Many hardy aroid lovers have grown the popular Sauromatum venosum–a plant that has been cultivated for hundreds of years. Few people, however, have tried another lesser-known species, that we think is an exceptional garden plant, Sauromatum horsfieldii.
We’d grown a couple of clones of this species for years, and found it to be a BIO plant (of botanical interest only). In other words, it was cute, but not exactly catalog worthy. Then we tried one of Alan Galloway’s collections from Thailand’s Loei Province, and our entire opinion of the plant changed.
This exceptional lance-leaf clone, which we named Sauromatum horsfieldii ‘Lancelot’, is truly exceptional both in vigor, showiness, and winter hardiness. This year, it sailed through 11F with no problem. Below are photos of our 1′ tall x 1′ wide clumps in full flower in mid-June, shortly after they emerge. We have found it to thrive in light shade as well as with a couple of hours of morning sun.
