Jack-In-The-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
[air-iss-EE-mah try-FY-lum]

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Single-Stemmed in the Araceae Family
Note: Spring ephemerals have evolved take advantage of sunlight which penetrates deciduous forests before the trees fully leaf out and then shut down for the year by the end of spring to rest until the next year. When buying them in summer you typically won't see anything above the ground until the next April!
A true native woodland oddity: a hooded green-and-purple flower hiding 'Jack' in his 'pulpit,' followed by a cluster of bright red fall berries — and a plant that can actually switch sexes from year to year.

One of the most distinctive native woodland wildflowers, Jack-in-the-Pulpit produces a curious hooded flower — a green-to-purple-striped spathe (the “pulpit”) wrapped around a spadix (“Jack”) — above one or two large, three-parted leaves. After flowering, a tight cluster of bright red berries ripens through late summer, a favorite of wood thrushes, wild turkeys, and box turtles, even as the foliage dies back and the plant goes dormant by midsummer.

Individual plants have the unusual ability to change sex from year to year: small, resource-poor plants produce mostly male flowers, while larger, well-established plants shift to producing female flowers. All parts of the plant contain calcium oxalate crystals and cause a sharp burning sensation if chewed or eaten raw.

Pros

  • Distinctive, conversation-starting native wildflower
  • Thrives in moist shade where many other perennials struggle
  • Bright red berry cluster provides fall interest and feeds songbirds
  • No serious pest or disease problems

Cons

  • Foliage dies back by midsummer, leaving a gap in the border
  • Slow to establish — takes about 5 years to flower from seed
  • All parts contain calcium oxalate crystals and are toxic/irritating if chewed or eaten raw
Why Like Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a slow-growing but long-lived native of rich, undisturbed deciduous woodlands and shaded seeps across most of eastern North America. It fills a niche few other perennials can, thriving in the deep, damp shade under a mature tree canopy, and its unusual pollination-by-deception strategy (fungus gnats and thrips are drawn in and often trapped briefly by the hooded spathe) and year-to-year sex change make it a genuinely interesting plant to have in a native or wild garden, not just a pretty one.
Highlights A true native curiosity: individual plants can switch from male to female flowering (and back) year to year depending on their size and stored energy — a phenomenon called diphasic sex expression.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 12 - 24 inches tall. 12 - 18 inches wide.
Growth Rate Slow
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Partial Shade
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet
Zones 4a - 9b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Deciduous, Full Shade, Illinois Native, Medium, Native to North America, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Perennial, Spring Ephemeral, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant
Bloom Period April to May
Flower Color Green to Purple-Striped
Foliage Color Green
Animals That Use It

Fruit:
 

Most Popular Plants
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Pairs well with other moisture-loving woodland natives such as ferns, wild ginger, Virginia bluebells, and trillium that share its shade and moisture needs.

Photos of This with...

Common Burdock
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 09/13
2024 : 05/01 - 09/15
2023 : 04/13 - 08/27

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

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