Arisaema

This is a heralded Japanese Jack in the Pulpit whose species name sikokianum I believe translates into English as 'divine whup-ass' because this truly and gloriously kicks some tail in the garden. A mysterious yet provocative regal beauty. A classic for the shade garden.

Tall Jack in the Pulpit. These grow into big boys with a large green flower and distinctive vertical spadix held well above the foliage. This merits that overused word of awesome especially when it gets 5' tall and you are eye-to-eye with that intriguing flower. The showy brilliant red fruit cluster is most welcome in early fall.

Helmeted Cobra Lily or Jack in the Pulpit. Young bulbs of this rare species from the Indian Himalayan foothills. Tall stems to 4'+ carry big 3-parted leaves and strongly cowled or helmeted flowers varying from green with white stripes to purplish. Choice plant and one to brag about. These are seed-grown from our plants in our shade garden which have persisted and done well for 7 years now.

A silver-patterned selection of this durable garden species of Jack in the Pulpit. A silver wash plays along the midrib of each leaflet spoke in the radial foliar wheel which makes this exotic leaf even more exotic. Green flowers with a long drip tip on the spathe limb cap turn into fruit like an orange ear of corn and you are on your way to lots more.

Very hardy Jack in the Pulpit which is the Asian equivalent of our eastern US Arisaema triphyllum. This Jack is native to the Russian Far East, northern China and Korea and is a variable species but always has green flowers with stripes that are usually white but can be sort of a chocolate purple. Good bulb for light shade to morning sun. We sold this for some years as triphyllum ssp. pusillum before being enlightened that it is the closely related Arisaema amurense. Similar but different. An easy Jack in the Pulpit increasing nicely my offsets. Good moist soil.

Neat species widely distributed from Thailand to China and into the Himalaya to Bhutan. This has stout stems that can reach 4' on old large bulbs with many leaflets arrayed like the spokes of an umbrella. Large green flowers often tinged with purple followed by red fruit. With such a broad range, there is variation in the species but a constant seems to be consistently good growers in the garden. Ours often don't appear above ground until early June so be patient! These are medium-sized bulbs and yes, we agree with you that we should have these sized by centimeters.

An exceptional selection by Duane West of presumably consanguineum. What sets this apart is the sultry smokiness of the new growth - the expanding radial array of leaflets colored darkly in alluring Mystery and Promise. The pseudostem leans strongly against the bar and beckons, allowing the olive flowers to stand proud.

A good form of this Chinese Jack in the Pulpit from plantsman Darrell Probst which sports the eye-catching and very elegant white-striped purple flowers typical of the species but here with the added ornament of dark stems rather than green.  This used to be known as var. liubaense, for the lack of ciliate hairs on the spathe rim but this is a minor distinction and is no longer recognized.  An excellent increaser by offsets, resulting in a proper colony over time.

Elegant, graceful and beautiful form of the species with thin radially arranged leaflets and lovely narrow-waisted dark purple flowers accented by white stripes held fully visible below. The spathe limb or hood of the flower tapers to a long thread. This variety lacks hairs on the spathe tube rim or lip which would need magnification to see anyway. Increases by short runners terminating in a bulb and will form a colony in time. We saw this just above Kangding in China in 2006 including a fantastic black-leafed colony of a single clone which resides not in our garden but in our memories as a longing unfulfilled.

As they begin to emerge and unfurl, the huge trifoliate leaves catch the 30"-40" threadlike spadix appendage dangling from the white-striped, maroon-purple hooded flowers and carry it aloft in a decidedly wanton display. The horizontal rhizomes will increase over time leading to several flowering stems, becoming something about which one has no recourse but to brag shamelessly. This Jack in the Pulpit has proven itself over many years to be a stellar performer in our shade garden. There are some Jacks that languish or don't persist but this simply gets bigger and better every year. The rhizomes can push up near the surface so check in the Fall and mulch if necessary - most prudent in the event of severe winter cold. Seed-grown, some of these bulbs will flower but if not, of all the things you have waited for in your life, this surely must rate among the most worthy.

Jack in the Pulpit. One of the more refined Himalayan 'Jacks' with a graceful purple and white or sometimes green and white striped flower held beneath the spokes of long narrow leaflets. This adds an exotic touch and increases by offsets and by seed - the latter when it gets its party on by having both sexes in the flower.

Rare species of Jack in the Pulpit and even rarer in this brown form. The typical folded in green spathe is washed in purplish brown in this form. Unique in this genus in having no spadix or just a nubbin so perhaps Jackless in the Pulpit is a better name. Excellent increaser, nice new growth.

This durable Japanese and Korean species has been long-lived in both the garden and in containers for us. Wish we could say the same for some of the other species which have delighted then departed. Broad, glossy trifoliate leaves wing out above the striped, green and white cowled flower, with a distinctive mahogany rim to the spathe tube lip. Shade to some sun. Our own propagations.

Excellent Chinese species which has grown and multiplied in our garden for 15 years. Broad trifoliate leaves with flowers sporting a swollen yellow spadix held below the foliage. Once pollinated, the stem bearing the fruiting head elongates until the red fruit is held well above the leaves. In Sichuan, we saw this flowering amidst carpets of Corydalis flexuosa in bloom - no wonder their spadices were dilated! Nice 1" or so seed-grown bulbs that are not flowering size but will get you started. This will also increase by offsets.

A bold species which we have seen and collected in China, this has a single impressive entire leaf until it hits flowering size and then it is impressively trifoliate. Lovely purple spathe with white stripes and best of all, an easy grower. Thanks to Jacques and Andrea Thompson for sharing seed which led to these bulbs. Hardy in Michigan!

A collection from Guizhou of this species in the Sinarisaema section and which is likely part of the variable Arisaema consanguineum complex. This has up to 8 radially arranged leaflets with attractive green flowers with pale white stripes held beneath. The long, attenuated drip-tip of the spathe-limb is softly chocolate colored and adds considerably to the allure. This has been a durable plant in the garden.

This collection is from the species elevational limit in the confluence of Tibet, Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan. This species is well-represented in gardens but from areas with much less cold exposure. Paired pedate leaves of splayed finger-like leaflets and sizable green flower standing proud above with an even prouder erect spadix. The showy red fruit in late summer and fall extends the pride. A durable and easy species in the garden.