A Parade of Jacks in the Forest

Jack in the Pulpits (Arisaema triphyllum) are popping all over through the forest floor. Apparently, even though they are poisonous enough to kill, people have survived to tell the tale that they are as hot as hell. Apparently Jack preaches hell and damnation from his pulpit in the park!

According to Wiki, Native Americans used this species to poison enemies. They also figured out how to safely eat the roots and used the plant for various medicinal purposes.

Jack in the Pulpits take 3 years to mature to the flowering stage.

Jack in th Pulpit

This year the Jack in the Pulpits appeared a week or two later than last year, a couple of days after Easter.

They can be found under trees in rich, moist areas in the woods. These are from Coffee Creek and the woods of Sunset Hill Farm Park are covered with the delightfully unique wildflowers.

First of the wildflowers blanketing the woods of Indiana

I noticed a lot of new flowers today during a hike at Sunset Farm County Park in Porter Co Indiana. One of our new arrivals is the Jack-in-the-pulpit or Indian Turnip. According to my Audubon field guide Indians ate the corms of these flowers. They are said to have a very peppery taste made better by cooking. They are called Jack-in-the-pulpit because the flower looks like a tiny man in a pulpit. 

Personally I think it looks like a tiny papoose in a blanket.  The small plants are all over in the undergrowth of the oak and pine forest in the park and are adding to the growing green of the spring.