What is this?
By Mareli
Northamptonshire,
United Kingdom 
We have had a mystery plant appear in the garden for the last 2/3 years. It first of all has large dark green leaves with white veins showing, shaped with three points. This year for the first time, it has flowered/seeded showing the attached and the leaves have disappeared/died down. We would like to know what it is - poisonous or not and whether to dig it up.
23 Aug, 2009
Answers
Arum maculatum, commonly known as Lords and Ladies - poisonous. (not Zantedeschia, sorry moongrower)
23 Aug, 2009
No prob. Bamboo so long as between us all we get there :-)
23 Aug, 2009
I thought the white veined one Arum italicum 'Mamoratum'? Anyway we agree its Arum
23 Aug, 2009
i have these and i taught my kiddies not to eat them. if you were to remove all poisonous plants our gardens would be a lot poorer. even the humble buttercup can be toxic if the person is sensitive to it.
23 Aug, 2009
I know SBG - but these days there seems to be a lot more fear around things that have always been toxic. As you say the list of plants that are poisonous and regularly grown in our gardens is huge. We drilled into our son and grandsons not to eat anything from the garden without asking first.
Heck my sister once went and ate a large quantity of tomatoes straight from the vine and they made her ill! Doctor just told Mum to make sure she didn't do it again.
23 Aug, 2009
yes parenting seems to be litigation avoidance these days. i cant belive i am still alive after all the things i have eaten over the years.
23 Aug, 2009
Looks like the seed head of an arum lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) in which case all parts of the plant are poisonous, that said unless you have small children I'd keep it. Type one or the other name into the search box near the top right of the screen and you'll get lots of info
23 Aug, 2009