The Marsh Calla
June 26, 2020

Earlier this spring, I saw this striking plant out at the Navarino Wildlife Area at the edge of the southwest corner of Pike’s Peak flowage, one of the flowages that has a trail around it that’s actually on a map. I didn’t see this plant anywhere else around Pike’s Peak flowage, nor did I see it at the edge of any other flowage out at Navarino. Like a lot of plants I see out at Navarino, I’ve never seen this one before in my life. You’d think I didn’t grow up in Wisconsin or that I spent my entire life locked up in a basement.
You’ve probably seen a thousand of these. You probably know all about this plant. After about an hour of research which I could have avoided if I would have called you up at 4:00 a.m. yesterday morning, I decided this is a calla palustris which is the scientific name for bog arum or water arum or marsh calla or wild calla. You probably know it by an even more common name, and if you do, please let me know.