Green Dragon Flower

Arisaema draconium -Green dragons are a wildflower closely related to Jack-in-the-pulpits. The one in the photo is growing in my garden from a seed I planted in 2005. I took a few of the seed from a large plant in my woods, one of a very few I have ever found with seed. Of the six I planted only two germinated. The one in the photo finally bloomed for the first time last year, but the flower was insignificant. This year it had several flowers and I think one has set seed. The other plant for some reason has been reduced to one leaf this year.

Many of the green dragons in my woods have been infected with a fungus that causes the plant to die prematurely so I rarely find any with seed. So I am happy to have a healthy one in my garden. If it does set seed. I will plant them in the woods and hope they germinate and stay healthy.

The same fungus has also attacked a lovely stand of Southern Jack-in-the-pulpits I found in my woods two years ago. I had meant to get some seed then, but forgot. Now I am sorry because the plants have been decimated. Many are gone, and of those remaining only a couple managed to bloom, but they were already beginning to die back, so will not set seed. If one ever does, I will take the seed because apparently the fungus is not passed to the seed. (IMG_2303)