I bought on the Internet some Arisaema triphyllum. They said they were bulbs, but they were about the size of my small finger nail so might be seeds. 6 out of 10 sprouted so far. I am just wondering would they be best grouped or scattered in my woodland garden? What about spacing? If anyone here has planted Jack in Pulpit what did you do or would you do now? I noticed that they seemed to be more of a single stalk, starting off something like trilliums do, with slow growth over a very long time. Is this true? Any ideas for making them a stand-out or should they just be a surprise? I am going to leave them in pots to give them a good start for at least the first summer. Don't want to loose them like I have other plants.
It may very well have been seeds you got Jewell if they were so small. If it was it could take the plants up to four years to flower for you. Most arisaema like a well drained soil, rich in humus, and prefer a true woodland situation with dappled shade. My rule of thumb with bulbs or seeds that I want to look 'natural' is to throw them on the ground and where they land I plant them. I rarely think about spacing and have never had any problems.
Seeds, Sounds like seeds. The single corm I have is an inch and a quarter wide (see picture), the fruit is dried(red) and with the fruit removed. Jack in the Pulpit seeds and corm ( photo / image / picture from Jerry Sullivan's Garden ) Jerry
Thanks for the reply Eileen and Jerry. They look a lot like your seeds Jerry. Maybe first season corm. I'll just have to wait and see how many years until flowering, but at least I have an idea how long to wait. Like your scatter idea Eileen.
If my little finger nail is anything to go by I'd say you've got very young corms, one to two years old. I grow my Arisaeama in clumps until I feel the clump's too solid. Then I divide it into several clumps. I think they look more impressive with a mixture of large and small blooms together. After flowering I let it go to seed, and leave the seed-head where it is. Some years I get lots of new plants, other years none, but they still multiply. Good luck with them, enjoy.
Mine grow scattered, not in clumps. They are in the woods, I didn't plant them there, but they aren't focal point flowers, either. It's the seed pods that you notice in the fall. I don't know how easy/difficult they are to transplant so if you scatter them, mark them with a stake or such just to protect them from the accidental step, if anyone has access to them, is my thought.
