Which Plant Sets Seeds First, Arum or Jack-in-the-Pulpit?

Jack-in-the-Pulpit Cultivation

• Jack-in-the-pulpit grows best in shady sites and will grow wild in moist, forested areas. The plant's green spathe is one of the plant's distinct features; when it withers and drops, the colorful berries are revealed. The berries are a housing for the seeds of the plant -- and you must not eat them. Tiny crystals inside the berries will create a toxic reaction with your skin and mouth. Jack in the pulpit grows in a variety of well-drained soil types; you may plant it even in full shade with only minimal light. The plant is cold-hardy to USDA plant hardiness zone 3.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit Seeds

• Jack-in-the-pulpit flowers in spring and summer and produces berries in late summer. Once the berries turn bright red and ripe in early fall, the seeds are ready to be harvested. If you intend to plant the seeds, you must do so immediately after harvesting the berries. Once the seeds dry out, they are useless. Plant seeds lightly in soil only 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. The plant will produce growth in early spring. If left alone, jack-in-the-pulpit will self-seed and produce new plants on its own.

Italian Arum Cultivation

• Italian arum, Arum italicum, is not native to the United States like jack-in-the-pulpit. The plant grows naturally in Europe and Asia, but it greatly resembles jack-in-the-pulpit in flowering and fruiting stages. The berries of the Italian arum are orange-red in color and vivid. Italian arum may be grown in partial to full shade in moist, well-drained soil. Like jack-in-the-pulpit, Italian arum grows naturally in wooded regions.

Italian Arum Seeds

• Italian arum is recognized for its evergreen foliage, which makes it a valuable winter plant, but the seeds have already formed well before this season. Whitish flowers bloom on the plant in late spring; berries develop after the flowers wilt away and die. Italian arum berries ripen in summer and fall, and like jack-in-the-pulpit's they are toxic when ingested. In many gardens, jack-in-the-pulpit and Italian arum may produce berries around the same time, but the latter may ripen a little more quickly than the former.