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Jack in the Pulpit berries

Submitted by Lavender2 on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 07:48

Wildflowers

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Jack in the Pulpit is a native wildflower in my area. I didn't have any in my naturalized woods area, so I rescued a few several years ago from a city development project. I think the berries are as interesting as the flowers. Jack in the Pulpit berries

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I love jack in the pulpit!

Submitted by tnchatter on Sat, 09/06/2008 - 08:56.

I hike a lot, and saw them at Roan Mountain State Park under a grove of pine trees. I have not been lucky enough to see the ones with a purple jack, but they are beautiful anyway. Do you have to sow them in a shaded area or does it matter? They grow wild in rather shaded forested areas in places that hold water well. You are lucky to have found them. Everywhere I go that has them is a state park, and it is forbidden to remove any part of them.

sharon aka tnchatter

Sharon

Submitted by Lavender2 on Sat, 09/06/2008 - 10:20.

Sharon, it helped that the city forester in charge of the project was a friend of mine. Jacks aren't a protected flower here, and they were on city property, so it was okay that I remove them. I have both the green and the purple.

Jacks prefer shade to part sun, and a relatively moist area....but I find they will do okay in somewhat drier soil. Much of the woodland I got them from was pretty high and dry, and one garden I have them in tends to dry out rapidly, but they do fine. I throw a little water on them if they start to look droopy.

I have many volunteers come up every spring, and I'll try to collect some seed off them this year. I know the berries must be very mature before collecting, and usually a freeze hits and I forget. The seeds must be cold stratified to germinate, so they would probably do best if sowed in the fall. I'll let you know if I get some seed to share.

Here's a close up!

Submitted by RonsGarden on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 13:19.

Here a close up of one of mine:

Have to remember that all parts of Arisaema triphyllumt (Arum) are toxic.

They contain calcium oxalate crystals as well as asparagine. Calcium oxalte http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalic_acid, Asparagine (for information go to) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagine

This is not really a seed pod, but a cluster of individual fruit with 1 to 5 seeds in each one.

To spread the seeds around you will need to pull the cluster apart and hand sow them where you would like them to grow. Just barely cover them with soil and mark the spot so you will know where they are come spring. Remember to wash your hands afterwards!

In the wild squirrels and chipmonks take the fruit and plant them one at a time. I guess the toxins in the fruit doesn't bother them.

Ron ~ zone 6b ~ Ontario

I got a few seeds....

Submitted by mawnature on Sat, 09/06/2008 - 10:55.

....last summer in a trade. When fall came, I didn't know to get the seeds out of the pod so I scattered the whole fruit. They were put in a shady area with a lot of rotting leaves on it. They did not show up this spring...maybe the fruit has to rot away, before the seeds will sprout. I'm still hoping for some Jacks! I love them, too!!

maw

Annette/ maw We come from the earth, we return to the earth, and in between, we garden. Author unknown http://www.gardenhere.com/content/MAWNATURES-TRADE-LISTCmon-lets-make-trade

Wow!

Submitted by skbeal on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 10:00.

Those seed pods are actually really pretty! They remind me of some dried berry bunches that my mom has that we put on the Christmas tree...........Do you just leave the seed pods alone? If you do, will they drop onto the ground and give you more of the flowers???? I really like that flower.....It kind of reminds me a bit of a pitcher plant!

Thanks for sharing the cool picture! I agree, they ARE every bit as interesting as the flowers!

Susan,The Assistant Administrator, the Texas Yankee and the Texas Rangerette.

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