The fact that your Jack in the Pulpit
(Arisaema triphyllum) is forming
seeds indicates that it has already flowered. The tiny
flowers are fairly insignificant and form on the spadix (Jack), hidden down inside the spathe (the pulpit). Male
flowers produce yellow pollen, female
flowers produce small berries which turn bright red in the fall.
Once the spathe has died back in the fall, remove the red berry flesh from the
seeds.
plant the
seeds immediately (don't let them dry out). The
seeds may be sown outdoors where you want the
plants to grow, covering the
seeds with 1/4 to 1/2 inch of soil.
seedlings should come up in early
spring. You can also place freshly cleaned
seeds in a plastic bag with some potting soil and refrigerate them for 6-8 weeks, then sow the
seeds in pots (indoors). In
spring,
plant the
seedlings outdoors. The new
plants may take several years before they are mature enough to
flower, but they can live as long as 20 years!
Jack in the Pulpit is hardy into USDA
zone 3. They grow best in moist but well drained, organically rich soil. (Excessively wet soil in the winter may cause the underground parts of the
plant to rot.) They should be planted about a foot apart in partial to full shade.
All parts of Jacks are poisonous when ingested.
