Guide to growing garden plants - Arisaema Dragonroot

The common names for the Hardy perennial Arisaema include Dragonroot, Indian turnip and Jack in the pulpit.

Dragonroot is a woodland plant that typically flowers in the early Summer.

Description of Dragonroot

Arisaema are medium sized plants that range between 30 and 90 cm in size. They are a woodland plant that is often grown in gardens due to it being a curious looking plant.
Dragonroot has hooded green or cream flowers that have dark stripes. The flowers stand erect and are tubular in nature.

How to grow Dragonroot

If you intend to sow Arisaema seeds outdoors, they should be sowed on the surface and lightly covered with soil in the early autumn. It is quite dificult to germinate seedlings indoor. If you intend to do so, then you should first stratify the dragonroot seeds by placing them in a moistened growth medium within a plastic bag; the bag should then be kept at 4 degrees celsius by placing in a fridge; for a period of six weeks. Following this period, the seeds should be sown into pots (lightly covered with soil) and germinated at a temperature of 13 to 15 degrees. The germination process will typically take between one and six months!

Following germination the seedlings should be transplanted in either the spring or autumn into a partly shaded section of the garden, at a spacing of between 20 to 25 cm, and in moist, humus rich soil. The Ideal pH should be around 7.

Caring for Dragonroot and other Arisaema

It is pretty easy to look after Arisaema, they require moist conditions from spring until the middle of Autumn. At other times they can be left in dry conditions. Ideally they should be composted in the Autumn. It may also be necessary to apply slug pellets to the area containing dragonroot liberally.