Kendall County (IL) Forest Preserve District
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Arisaema triphyllum
[C-value
4]
Arum family (Araceae)
Blooms May
The native Jack-in-the-Pulpit is common in our area. It prefers dappled sunlight to light shade and moderately moist rich woodland soil. This perennial woodland plant is about 1-2' tall with 1-2 trifoliate leaves on long petioles and a stout stalk with a single flower at its apex. The whitish green to reddish green flower is about 3½" long and 2" across, consisting of a spadix and spathe. The spathe loosely surrounds the spadix, exposing only its upper portion (the "Jack") of the flower. The upper part of the spathe develops behind the spadix and then curves over it, providing a protective hood ("pulpit") that varies from light green to reddish green in color.
Jack-in-the-Pulpit at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve May 5, 2015
Jack-in-the-Pulpit at Pickerill/Pigott Forest Preserve April 25, 2015 (early spring shoots)
Jack-in-the-Pulpit berry cluster at Millbrook North Forest Preserve June 20, 2014
(berries are still green/immature)
Jack-in-the-Pulpit berry cluster at Richard Young Forest Preserve August 29, 2012
Each fertilized flower develops into a fleshy red berry about ¼" across. Collectively, these berries form an ovoid cluster up to 2" long.
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