Wild and Arty
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
A few days ago I was walking around in a client garden and was pleased and surprised to see the rather arty-looking flower shown in the lead photo. It is commonly called Jack-in-the-Pulpit.
I have a hazy recollection of having brought one of these plants to that garden to be planted in a very moist and rich area under some trees. Then I promptly forgot about it!
The Jack-in-the-pulpit is an interesting perennial wild plant that can be found across eastern North America, from Texas to the Canadian Maritimes.
They usually grow in low open woods or swampy areas in early May. They grow best in bogs or bog-like areas where the soil is rich in decomposing vegetation and the soil is damp.
Interestingly, the plants that I brought came from a garden with hard, dry soil. They had spread from seed like wildfire and that client wanted them thinned out, which I did.
When I read up on them, I was surprised to see that they vary in height from 6–12 inches and as much as 4 feet. The one in the lead photo is roughly 12 inches tall.
