Also called cobra lily, this herbaceous perennial is indigenous to the island of Shikoiu, Japan where it grows in moist shaded woodlands. It is in the same genus as the Jack in the pulpit native to eastern US. In spring a knobby tuber sends up a fleshy stalk with two leaves, one with three lobes the other with five. The flower that quickly follows consists of hood (spathe) that is dark chocolate brown striped on the outside, pure white on the inside and partially surrounds a pure white, club-like center (spadix). The plant may produce red berries before it goes dormant in late summer. An eye catching plant for a woodland garden.
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Bloom: Spathe with chocolate brown stripes on the outside, pure white on inside, surrounding a pure white club-like spadix, in spring
Size: 24” H x 6” W
Light: Part shade, dappled shade, full shade
Soil: Humus-rich, consistently moist, well-drained
Hardiness: Zones 5-8
Care: Low maintenance
Pests and Diseases: None of significance
Propagation: Seed in autumn; detaching offsets
Companion plants: Bleeding heart, hosta, Galium odoratum, Aruncus dioicus, Corydalis empervirnes, ferns
Karen Meyers