Jack-in-the-pulpit

Questions about jack-in-the-pulpit

Does jack-in-the-pulpit need sun or shade?

Jack-in-the-pulpit grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light). It is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells. It copes with soil that stays wet.

What zones does jack-in-the-pulpit grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does jack-in-the-pulpit flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early May to late May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should jack-in-the-pulpit be planted?

12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is about its full width, so each plant keeps its own outline.

It grows 18 in (45 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many jack-in-the-pulpit plants do I need?

At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as one at a time, repeated along the bed at intervals; a slender one reads better as a clump of three.

In the bed above, the planner used three in three groups.

Is jack-in-the-pulpit poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: moderate toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts contain crystals that cause burning and swelling of the mouth if chewed.

Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like jack-in-the-pulpit?

These come closest to doing what jack-in-the-pulpit does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Foamflower: the same flowering time; a carpet, not an accent, 8 in shorter.
• Creeping Jacob's ladder: the same flowering time; a drift, not an accent, 4 in shorter.
• Celandine poppy: the same size and the same flowering time; a drift, not an accent, yellow, not green.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat jack-in-the-pulpit?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after jack-in-the-pulpit?

Jack-in-the-pulpit is over by late May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall.
• Astilbe: from late June to mid July, 24 in tall.
• Cranesbill 'Rozanne': from early June to early October, 18 in tall.

What does jack-in-the-pulpit look like in winter?

Jack-in-the-pulpit dies down, but leave the stems standing: the seed heads stand through the winter, and songbirds eat the seed. Cut them down in early spring, before the new shoots come.

Is jack-in-the-pulpit good for bees and butterflies?

Jack-in-the-pulpit is visited by pollinators and songbirds.

It is native to the United States and Canada.