Signs of Spring

Arisaema triphyllum – Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Arisaema triphyllum, also called Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a shade loving species that grows in rich, moist, deciduous woods and floodplains. It is a spring ephemeral that emerges in April. This species will spread and colonize over time from an acidic corm and it pollinated by small flies. The mature flower is a striped green and maroon spathe surrounding a fleshy, maroon-colored spadix that bears the tiny, embedded flowers. Once pollinated the plant bears  showy, bright red berries that are an attractive food source for birds.

Jack-in-the-pulpits are diaceous, however they can alter the sex of their flowers in a generation which is an adaptation that reflects the resources required to set fruit. If sufficient carbohydrates have been stored in the plant’s corm, a spadix that had male flowers may produce female flowers the following year: “Jack” becomes “Jill”. Prefers consistently moist soil rich in organic matter. Best planted in a woodland setting, and left undisturbed once established.

Jack-in-the-pulpit flowers and foliage