Jack in the Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

How much light does a Jack in the Pulpit need?

Give this plant part shade to full shade outdoors. Part shade, meaning two to six hours of direct sun a day, is the condition it prefers most. Full shade, under two hours of direct sun, also suits it outdoors. The soil it grows in should stay moist with good drainage.

• Light: Part shade and full shade (part shade preferred)^1,1

How often to water a Jack in the Pulpit

This plant needs soil that stays constantly moist. Its water needs run from medium-wet to wet, and the soil should rarely dry out. Water it often enough to keep the soil damp to the touch. Soil that is too dry for long stretches is not a good match for this plant.

• Water: Medium to wet^1,2

Best soil for a Jack in the Pulpit

This plant grows well in soil with good drainage. It also tolerates soil that stays moist or is occasionally wet. Choose a planting site where the ground holds moisture rather than drying out quickly. In the wild, this species grows most vigorously in moist, shady, and seasonally wet locations. The soil should also be rich in organic matter and stay constantly moist.

• Soil drainage: Well drained, moist and occasionally wet^1,1,1

Hardiness and temperature

This plant grows outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 4a through 9b. Zone 4a marks the coldest areas where it survives outdoors, and zone 9b marks the warmest. It is native to the lower 48 US states. Its flowers come in green, purple, brown, or white.

• Hardiness: Zones 4a–9b¹

How to plant a Jack in the Pulpit

Plant this species outdoors in USDA zones 4a through 9b. It is native across much of the eastern and central United States, plus parts of eastern Canada. The US federal government also lists it as a native plant across the lower 48 states. Choose a planting spot with part shade to full shade, since that is what it takes outdoors.

• Hardiness: Zones 4a–9b¹

Winter care

Zones 4a through 9b mark the USDA range where this plant survives outdoors. Within that span, it survives winter outdoors as a perennial. Winter conditions colder than zone 4a or warmer than zone 9b fall outside its documented range. It is native to a wide span of states and Canadian provinces. Its native range reaches from Florida north into Ontario and Quebec. That broad native range lines up with its wide 4a-9b hardiness rating. No cited source for this page records a specific minimum winter temperature it can tolerate.

• Hardiness: Zones 4a–9b¹

How to propagate a Jack in the Pulpit

You can propagate this plant from seed, by division, or by separating offsets. Offsets are small cormlets that grow next to the parent corm. You can separate these cormlets from the parent corm in fall. Division and seed are the two other methods that work for this plant. This plant also grows at a moderate rate once it takes root.

• Propagation: Seed, division and offsets^1,2

Common problems

This plant has no significant insect or disease problems reported for it. Deer tend to avoid it too, since it contains bitter chemicals that discourage browsing. It also prefers soil with good drainage that stays moist. It grows at a moderate rate in the garden.

• Common pests: ¹
• Common diseases: ¹

Questions and answers

Is Jack-in-the-pulpit toxic to cats and dogs?

Yes, this plant is toxic to both cats and dogs, so keep it out of reach of your pets.

Where should you plant Jack-in-the-pulpit outdoors?

Give it part shade to full shade, since that is what it takes outdoors. It also grows best in USDA zones 4a through 9b, in soil that stays moist with good drainage.

How do you propagate Jack-in-the-pulpit?

You can grow new plants from seed, by division, or by separating offsets, which are small cormlets that form next to the parent corm. Fall is when these cormlets are typically separated for replanting.