And wherever you garden, it's worth remembering that aroids contain some pretty unpleasant chemicals that can cause irritation to skin, eyes, and mouth, so take care when handling, pruning, or propagating them. You dedicate a chapter to discussing aquatic plants. There is no end to aquatic aroids. If you have a tropical fish tank or small tropical pond, you can grow Cryptocoryne, Anubias, and Lagenandra submerged in the water and floating aquatics, such as Pistia on the surface. In temperate regions, the common arum lily, Zantedeschia aethiopica , can be grown with its feet in water.
Aroids are acrid, poisonous plants with a complex chemistry that is very far from being understood.
Not surprisingly, many types of aroids are used medicinally in their countries of origin for a wide range of purposes, from healing wounds to providing contraception and contributing to cancer therapy. With the exception of Pinellia, which has well-researched effects in controlling nausea and vomiting, few aroids have been investigated in any detail, so there are endless opportunities for future research. There is a whole chapter in my book on this subject that I'm sure anyone interested in ethnobotany and medicinal plants will find fascinating. With roots firmly anchored to the ground, a plant is stuck in one location for life, which may be less than a year but could be for centuries.