Green Dragon
Arisaema dracontium
A green spathe with a dragon's-tongue spadix that pulls people in for a closer look. Orange-red fall berries feed thrushes, and deer leave it alone.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Sep 248 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Sep 258 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Sep 268 AM – 2 PM
The dramatic, dragon-tongued companion to Jack-in-the-Pulpit. for collectors and shade garden enthusiasts who want the unexpected.
Green Dragon is the stranger, wilder cousin of Jack-in-the-Pulpit. A single large leaf divided into 7 to 15 leaflets rises from the corm, and from its center emerges the flower: a green spathe with a long, tapering spadix that protrudes dramatically beyond the hood like a dragon's tongue. The whole structure is alien and captivating, and it reliably draws people over for a closer look. By late summer the spathe collapses to reveal a dense cluster of orange-red berries that provide the same fall food value for thrushes and robins as Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Green Dragon is less commonly grown but equally garden-worthy. Plant both in a shaded naturalistic area and watch their different structures unfold through the season. Like its cousin, this plant is toxic if ingested, but it's also completely deer-proof because of those same compounds.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown green dragon propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Part shade
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 1–3 ft · 8–14 in wide
- Bloom time
- Spring
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Family
- Araceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America, from Quebec south to Florida, west to Nebraska and Texas
Care notes for green dragon.
Plant the corm 2-3 inches deep in moist, rich woodland soil in part to full shade. Requires consistent moisture. Allow foliage to die back naturally. Toxic to humans and pets if ingested. Self-sows slowly. Best naturalized in woodland areas with Jack-in-the-Pulpit for a complementary collection of native Arisaema species.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside green dragon.
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